Haringey Migrant Support Centre warns of fraudulent British immigration service organisation
Published: 1 Jun 2016
Dear Editors,
Haringey Migrant Support Centre recently helped a visitor to complain to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and the police regarding an immigration fraud apparently perpetrated by an organisation calling itself the Independent Diplomatic Commission. The group has reportedly previously been known as both the Protectorate Identity Commission and Council of Justice Assembly.
This organisation had told our very vulnerable visitor that they would help her renounce her existing citizenship, after which she would be entitled to citizenship here in the UK. She gave them several thousand pounds in advance, and at their insistence then bought various “packs” that they advertise online. They gave her documents to be stamped at solicitors’ firms and at a magistrates court. They then sent her very obviously forged identity documents and told her to send them to the Home Office, which she did. Unsurprisingly, the consequences were not positive.
We helped her complain to the OISC, who quickly confirmed that they agreed with our concerns, having received other similar complaints, and that one of the organisation’s directors has previously been convicted for similar offences. The OISC also said that staff at the Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre have been asked to contact the police if this Director should attend the centre, and the relevant asylum and immigration tribunals had also been alerted and asked to report any contact. The OISC advised us to report the matter to the police and, with our visitor’s agreement, we have now done so. Our local Member of Parliament has kindly supported our complaint. Other clients have also asked about this organisation, so we are very concerned that other people are falling victim to this fraud. We are meeting with the police later this week to discuss our concerns.
If you or your readers should come into contact with or become aware of clients who have come into contact with this organisation, please do let your clients know in the strongest possible terms that the OISC has advised that they are fraudulent. If our visitor had tried to rely on any of the identity documents she had been provided with, for example to open a bank account, she could have received a substantial custodial sentence.
Best wishes
Jennifer Blair
Barrister/Immigration Adviser
Haringey Migrant Support Centre