Sham immigration lawyers to lose cash in crackdown on asylum and visa abuses

Sham immigration lawyers who help migrants claim visas and fight deportations will have their cash seized under new powers.

The Immigration Advice Authority will be able to trace and freeze assets, claw back illegal earnings and "bring offenders to justice, without relying on police support", the Home Office said.

The money, officials say, will be reinvested into frontline policing to "shut down the networks it once funded".

In one case, one bogus adviser raked in over half a million pounds by preying on migrants hoping to stay in Britain.

In another, three rogue immigration advisers pocketed over £3 million by targeting victims online and offering advice on visa applications and how to challenge deportations.

Rogue immigration 'lawyers' often act as middlemen for those looking to abuse the immigration system or cash in by providing shoddy or outright fraudulent immigration advice.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: "Rogue immigration advisers exploiting our system will pay the price.

"By backing the Immigration Advice Authority with tough new powers, we're stripping criminals of their dirty money and using it to strengthen our borders and keep our streets safe."

It comes on top of new powers under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which will see people posing as immigration lawyers face fines of up to £15,000.

Regulators will be able to fine fraudulent firms and advisers who pose as immigration advisers to help illegal migrants mount claims to stay in the country.

The changes will also close a loophole that allows someone currently banned from giving immigration advice to continue to do so by claiming they are doing it under "supervision".

Sukhwinder Singh Kang was handed an 18-month suspended sentence for fraud at Southwark Crown Court after posing as a registered level 3 immigration adviser with fake qualifications.

He targeted people despite having very little immigration knowledge.

He claimed, using Facebook support groups as a source, that he could sort visa applications with his "special access" to the Home Office, scamming his victims out of thousands of pounds in advance fees and taking personal identity documents.

Kang even set up weekly payments, made up fictional staff that were supposedly handling the applications and gave out a fake professional premises address.