Asylum Seekers Who Entered the UK Have Found a Shocking Way to Avoid Home Office Interviews About Their Claims, But You Won’t Believe What Some of Them Are Doing to Buy More Time

Some asylum seekers in the UK are reportedly buying sick notes online to avoid attending Home Office interviews about their asylum applications.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, some applicants are allegedly using these medical notes to delay their interviews for several months, sometimes for as long as six months. This gives them more time to prepare their asylum claims, gather evidence and, in some cases, continue working in the UK.

An internal Home Office memo obtained by the newspaper reportedly raised concerns after officials noticed similar medical sick notes appearing in different asylum application files.

The memo claimed that some of these notes were being purchased for £44 from a website called Home2Lab, which offers online medical certificates without requiring customers to attend a physical GP appointment.

According to the memo, applicants could describe their illness online and receive approval on the same day.

Home Office staff handling asylum applications have reportedly been told to flag any suspicious medical notes they come across.

A Home Office insider told the Daily Mail that some asylum seekers are using these sick notes as a way to buy themselves more time before facing immigration officials.

The source explained that some applicants submit their sick notes just one day before their scheduled interview or even on the day they are supposed to attend.

When this happens, the interview may be postponed, and the applicant may not face any punishment for missing it.

The source claimed that getting another interview date could take several months, giving the person more time to prepare their answers or gather additional evidence to support their asylum application.

The insider also claimed that this practice is sometimes used by people whose UK work visas are about to expire.

According to the source, some of these individuals apply for asylum so they can remain in Britain, and delaying their interviews may allow them to continue working while their applications are being considered.

Another concern raised in the report involves asylum seekers who are applying together as family members.

The source explained that when two people are connected through an asylum application, their interviews may be arranged for the same day to prevent them from discussing the questions beforehand.

However, the insider alleged that one person may submit a sick note to avoid attending while the other goes ahead with the interview.

The person who attends could then tell the other applicant what questions were asked, allowing them to prepare their answers before their own interview takes place.

The Home Office source claimed that some asylum seekers submit sick notes two or three times before eventually attending an interview.

In one alleged case, an applicant was said to have postponed an interview because of a stomach ache.

In another case, a person reportedly managed to delay an interview for six months because of a sore foot.

However, there is no suggestion that these particular cases involved Home2Lab.

The Daily Mail also carried out its own investigation to see how easy it was to obtain a medical sick note online.

One reporter applied through Home2Lab by submitting identification, completing an online medical assessment and recording a short video lasting about 30 seconds.

In the video, the reporter falsely claimed to be suffering from flu.

Less than 24 hours later, the reporter received a medical certificate stating that they had a respiratory tract infection.

The certificate was signed by Dr Ahmed Said, who is registered as a pharmacist but is not a registered GP.

This raised questions because Home2Lab had advertised on its website that its medical letters were signed by UK-registered GPs.

When questioned, the company explained that medical certificates could also be issued by other registered healthcare professionals, including pharmacists.

Home2Lab admitted that the information on its website had been inaccurate and said it had corrected the wording.

However, a second Daily Mail reporter who applied for a sick note claiming to have stress and anxiety did not receive one.

Instead, the company advised the reporter to arrange a face-to-face appointment with a GP.

Home2Lab said this showed that its system includes proper medical checks and does not automatically approve every application.

The company also strongly denied knowingly providing medical certificates to help people delay asylum interviews.

A spokesman explained that Home2Lab does not issue certificates for Home Office or immigration purposes and that its website clearly tells customers not to apply for those reasons.

The company said it had identified three medical certificates that were later submitted to the Home Office.

However, in all three cases, the customers had told Home2Lab that they needed the certificates for employment purposes.

They had also provided employer information and video assessments that appeared to support their requests.

The company said none of those customers had mentioned immigration matters when applying for their certificates.

The Daily Mail also asked the Home Office to reveal how many asylum interviews had been postponed because applicants submitted medical sick notes.

However, the department declined to provide the information in response to a Freedom of Information request.

Although the Home Office insider described the practice as very common, the exact number of cases remains unknown.

It is also unclear how many of the medical notes submitted to immigration officials came from Home2Lab, as other websites offer similar online services.

Responding to the allegations, a Home Office spokesman said asylum interviews are not postponed simply because someone claims to be ill.

The spokesman explained that under existing government rules, applicants must provide sufficient medical evidence from a qualified healthcare professional before an interview can be delayed because of illness or a medical condition.

The report has raised questions about whether some asylum applicants are taking advantage of medical certificate services to delay their cases. However, the allegations have not established how widespread the practice is, and there is no evidence that everyone who submits a sick note is attempting to avoid an interview.