Four migrants to cost taxpayers £320k after being accused of illegally claiming asylum in UK by pretending to be from Afghanistan
Four family members accused of falsely claiming to be Afghan asylum seekers will cost UK taxpayers an estimated £320,000 after their trial was set for 2026.
Gurbakhsh Singh, 72, his wife Ardet Kaur, 68, their son Guljeet Singh, 44, and his wife Kawaljeet Kaur, 37, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on bail last Thursday.
The family is currently residing in a £575,000 house in Hemel Hempstead after previously being housed at Wembley’s Holiday Inn.
They are accused of claiming Afghan nationality when arriving at Heathrow Airport before Christmas, despite allegedly having failed twice to obtain UK visas as Indian citizens earlier that year.
The family has been in Britain for 13 months while awaiting their trial.
Their court hearing was adjourned as no Punjabi or Dari Afghan interpreters had been booked.
“We have not had a fully effective conference, but all four are very robust that they are not guilty,” said Charles Drinnan, defending the senior Singh and Kaur.
The family was bailed until March 13 to enter their pleas with assistance from interpreters.
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Their trial has been set for February 2, 2026.
“The four defendants reside a three hour bus and train journey away,” Drinnan told the court.
Addressing the family, Judge Michael Evans KC said: “I know you all don’t understand this. You are not going to be arraigned today and you will still have 25 per cent credit if you plead guilty.”
The family’s current residence in Hemel Hempstead is a 1,136 sq ft property featuring four bedrooms and an open plan ground floor.
The house includes a luxurious fitted kitchen with top-end appliances and was listed for sale at £575,000 in March 2023.
Property records show it was previously sold for £467,000 in 2022.
The modern home boasts plush deep-pile carpets, new wooden floors and a 341 sq ft loft room with views of Hertfordshire.
Located within half a mile of outstanding schools, the property includes a newly landscaped garden and two parking spaces.
The house is close to Hemel Hempstead’s amenities and railway station.
The family faces charges of making false statements at Heathrow Airport by requesting asylum as Afghan citizens when Home Office records allegedly show they are Indian nationals.
They are also charged with knowingly entering the UK without leave on December 23, contrary to the Immigration Act.
According to the Institute for Public Policy Research, the cost of housing an asylum seeker has risen from £17,000 per person in 2019/20 to £41,000 in 2023/24.
Based on these figures, housing the family of four costs £164,000 annually.
When contacted about the case, a Home Office spokesman said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
The spokesman added: “Where there are concerns of abuse of the asylum system, we ensure that these are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken.”