British authorities are currently investigating an alleged immigration scam that enabled individuals to claim asylum in Canada by reportedly paying substantial sums to an airline supervisor at London’s Heathrow airport. According to reports by the Times of London, the scheme exploited a loophole allowing a British Airways employee to check in passengers lacking a Canadian entry visa, thereby bypassing immigration laws. The British Home Office, responsible for immigration and security, has verified the details reported by the Times.
The former supervisor is said to have charged passengers approximately $43,000 each to fly without the required visa, amassing over $5 million in the process. Canadian officials raised concerns after noting a pattern of passengers arriving in Toronto and Vancouver without visas on British Airways flights and subsequently claiming asylum.
The investigation continues, and British officials have refrained from discussing the alleged loophole, involving airline staff conducting immigration checks instead of government officials. Heathrow airport officials directed inquiries to British Airways, and the airline confirmed that the accused supervisor is no longer employed, assisting authorities in the investigation.
The individual central to the alleged scam reportedly fled to India after his arrest in London on January 6, accompanied by his partner, who worked for British Airways. Both are currently evading Indian and British authorities, who plan to seek extradition.
Most beneficiaries of the scheme were Indian citizens intending to claim asylum in Canada, flying to London on temporary visitor visas. The former supervisor required asylum seekers to arrive at his check-in desk in Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and falsely reported during boarding that they possessed the necessary documents for travel to Canada.
Canada processed 5,024 claims from Indian refugee seekers in the previous year, with an additional 10,638 pending as of December 2023. The Immigration and Refugee Board reported that recent asylum seekers mainly originated from Mexico, India, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria.
As a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, Canada is obligated to process asylum claims from eligible individuals. Immigration lawyer Ravi Jain emphasized the trust placed in airlines and their employees to ensure compliance with immigration laws. While governments typically impose financial penalties on airlines for failing to conduct proper immigration checks, Jain considered the British case unusual and stressed that it should not be seen as a systemic issue in Canada’s immigration system.
