A shadow industry of law firms and advisers is charging thousands of pounds to help migrants pretend to be gay in order to stay in the UK, the BBC has found.

In the first part of a major undercover investigation, we reveal how migrants whose visas are due to run out are being given fake cover stories and instructed in how to obtain fabricated evidence, including supporting letters, photographs and medical reports.

They then apply for asylum claiming to be gay and in fear for their lives if they return to Pakistan or Bangladesh.

In response to our findings, the Home Office said: “Anyone found trying to exploit the system will face the full force of the law, including removal from the UK.”

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US Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad alongside President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and special adviser Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for peace talks with Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has recently emerged as a prominent government figure, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the middle of the night ahead of the talks.

Both the sides were greeted by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Pakistan’s military chief Asim Munir. The country is a key mediator between the two warring nations, and played a part in securing a fragile two-week ceasefire.

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The Artemis II crew have completed their 10-day mission around the Moon and are preparing to splash down on Earth.

They are expected to arrive off the coast of San Diego at 20:07 eastern US time on Friday 10 April (01:07 BST on Saturday).

The splashdown sequence takes roughly 42 minutes to complete and is considered the most dangerous part of the Artemis II mission, with the Orion capsule enduring temperatures of nearly 2,760C.

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Migrants are falsely claiming to be victims of domestic abuse in order to stay in the UK, a BBC investigation has discovered.

They are exploiting rules brought in by ministers to help genuine victims of abuse to secure permanent residence more quickly than through other routes, such as asylum.

Lawyers have said inadequate Home Office checks are allowing them to do so on the basis of little evidence, while their unsuspecting British partners have had their lives turned upside down by the false accusations.

In response, Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding in the Home Office, has said: “Sham lawyers facilitating this advice abuse will be put behind bars and their dirty money seized will be reinvested to shut down the crime they once bankrolled.

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UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has shelved his Chagos Islands deal amid worsening relations with US President Donald Trump, after the US failed to formally confirm its approval.

Trump had urged Starmer to scrap the deal despite earlier expressing support for the treaty. In January the president called the plan an “act of total weakness”.

UK government officials have said they are not entirely abandoning the agreement – which would hand sovereignty of the British territory to Mauritius – but have run out of time to pass legislation before Parliament is prorogued in the coming weeks.

However, a new Chagos bill is not expected to feature in the King’s Speech in mid-May.

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