Lawyer caught offering to make illegal-worker fine go away
Solicitor accused of suggesting a route around illegal-worker penalty
Constantvpn.com – A Bradford solicitor was recorded discussing ways a business could avoid a £45,000 penalty for employing a worker without the legal right to work in the UK. Mohammad Alias Yousaf, who is also known as Alias, spoke to an undercover reporter posing as the owner of a mini-mart facing an immigration fine.
During the recorded call, Yousaf said the financial responsibility could potentially be moved away from the real operator of the business if another person, based outside the UK, was presented as the owner. He has rejected claims that he has ever given that advice or submitted untrue material to the Home Office.
The case has drawn renewed attention to the difficulty of enforcing civil penalties against businesses that employ people illegally. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced a review of how such fines are imposed and recovered, after concerns that large sums remain unpaid.
“I wanted to thank the BBC for exposing those who undermine our rules.”
Proposal involved an overseas name
The reporter told Yousaf that immigration officers had allegedly found an unauthorised worker at a mini-mart. The business, employee and penalty were fictional, but the conversation was recorded.
Yousaf said his fee would be 10% of the fine, which in this scenario amounted to £4,500, and that he would require payment in advance. He then discussed naming an individual who had left the UK as the business owner.
“Do you have anybody’s name who we can use? Anybody who’s gone back to Iraq, gone back to Iran?”
He gave a hypothetical example involving a person called Karwan, suggesting that a fine could be issued in the name of someone living in Iraq rather than the person actually running the shop.
“Say we put forward Karwan, yeah? Then fine come on Karwan’s name. Karwan not here, Karwan in Iraq.”
Such an arrangement resembles the use of a “ghost director”: a person paid or persuaded to appear on official records while the true controller of a company remains hidden. A law-enforcement official said this is a widespread illegal practice.
The reporter also said that people had allegedly been paid to place their names on the shop lease and utility accounts, concealing the identities of the real owners. Yousaf responded positively to that account.
“OK, fine. Then I think we should be able to find a way out of this.”
Growing concern over unpaid penalties
Businesses can face substantial civil penalties when they employ someone who lacks permission to work. In 2024, the maximum sanction for knowingly hiring an illegal worker rose from £15,000 to £60,000.
Between 2021 and 2025, 5,755 illegal-working fines were issued. Their combined value was £215m, yet only £60.5m had been recovered. More than £150m is therefore still owed to the government in uncollected penalties.
The gap between fines issued and money recovered raises practical questions about deterrence. A penalty has limited effect if the business closes, changes hands on paper, operates through intermediaries or cannot be linked to the people truly controlling it. Accurate records of ownership, leases and trading arrangements are central to identifying who should bear responsibility.
An anonymous law-enforcement official described encountering immigration penalty notices left in plain sight at mini-marts, including notices worth around £40,000 placed in a box on a counter. When she asked whether the owners intended to pay, a member of staff replied:
“It’s got nothing to do with me.”
She said some business owners simply laughed when confronted with the prospect of fines. That response illustrates why collection procedures, as well as the size of penalties, are now under scrutiny.
Social media posts promoted legal services
Yousaf came to attention during a broader examination of illegal working and alleged criminality connected with certain High Street businesses, including mini-marts and barbershops. Kurdish-language Facebook posts featured his name, Liberty Solicitors and a mobile number. Some of the videos attracted more than 20,000 views.
In one clip, a shop owner said he had unsuccessfully sought help from several places after receiving a penalty for employing an illegal worker. He said that “Mr Alias” had secured the cancellation of the fine and displayed a letter as proof.
Yousaf said he did not commission, finance, authorise or distribute the social-media material. The online posts nevertheless show how businesses facing immigration enforcement action may seek specialist assistance, often through informal networks and recommendations rather than formal channels.
For employers, the central issue is straightforward: a person’s right to work should be checked before employment begins, and records should be retained. Attempts to shift ownership on paper, provide false details or conceal the people directing a business can create far more serious consequences than the original penalty.
The planned review will examine both the issuing and collection of illegal-working fines. Its outcome will be closely watched by legitimate employers, enforcement agencies and communities concerned that businesses willing to evade the rules can gain an unfair advantage over those that comply.
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