Woman, 61, arrested after using 'array of wigs' to take citizenship test 14 times for other applicants
Home Office prevent programme should be 'tightened' not scrapped
GB News
A woman has been arrested after using an “array of wigs” to take a British citizenship test 14 times for other applicants.
The Home Office announced on Monday that the 61-year-old was arrested on suspicion of fraudulently taking Life in the UK exams, allowing applicants to “gain an unfair advantage”.
The woman allegedly wore wigs and disguises to make herself look like the real applicants - both female and male - to obtain 'leave to remain' status
Gaining a leave to remain status allows non-British citizens to live and work in the country without time restrictions.
The Life in the UK Test is required for people seeking to obtain leave to remain or a British citizenship.
The woman allegedly wore wigs and disguises to make herself look like the real applicants
Home Office
It was introduced in 2005 as part of the Government’s efforts to ensure integration.
It consists of 24 questions for applicants to show they hold enough knowledge and understanding of “British values, history and society.”
To pass the exam, applicants have to get at least 18 of the questions right - a score of 75 per cent.
Police executed a warrant on Monday, seizing “several false documents and an array of wigs alleged to have been used in the fraudulent scheme” from an address in Enfield, North London.
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Officers acted on intelligence that between June 2022 and August 2023, the fraudster attended test centres in the UK, doctoring documents and wearing a disguise to avoid being detected by authorities.
The Home Office said actions like this could lead to individuals being “wrongly being granted the right to remain in the country without the proper due diligence”.
A spokesman added: “This arrest represents one of the most prolific cases of this type of offending encountered by Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial investigators.”
Phillip Parr, a Home Office immigration enforcement inspector, said a lengthy investigation had put an end to the scheme.
The Home Office said actions like this could lead to individuals being “wrongly being granted the right to remain in the country without the proper due diligence”
GettyHe added: “This individual is believed to have orchestrated a premeditated plan to avoid detection, meticulously selecting disguises and test centre locations across the country to evade the authorities.”
Parr said that they believe the crime was carried out for financial gain.
The woman remains in custody as investigations continue.
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