MEP Mary Khan (ESN) has submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission, raising concerns about a shadow industry of law firms and consultants in the UK that allegedly charge migrants to file bogus asylum applications based on false claims of sexual orientation or religious affiliation. The question, filed on 20 April 2026, cites a recent BBC investigation and asks whether similar practices occur in Germany or other Member States, whether the Commission has funded any organisations involved in such fraud, and what measures exist to detect, monitor, and sanction entities that facilitate fraudulent applications.
Khan's question targets the integrity of the EU's asylum system, focusing on the potential for systematic abuse by professional intermediaries. The MEP seeks concrete information on Commission awareness of similar practices across the bloc, any financial links to organisations under suspicion, and the robustness of existing safeguards. The question does not propose specific numerical targets or deadlines but calls for a detailed account of current detection and enforcement mechanisms.
The Commission is expected to respond within approximately six weeks. Its answer will signal the extent of EU-level monitoring and whether the Commission views this as a systemic issue requiring new oversight or enforcement actions. The response may also clarify the Commission's role in funding asylum-related organisations and its capacity to prevent misuse of funds.