UK immigration officer accused of being an illegal migrant himself and stealing money from asylum seekers

An officer employed by the United Kingdom's immigration service is on trial after British authorities discovered he had entered the country illegally and was involved in a network of thefts committed against migrants arriving in Britain illegally by crossing the English Channel.

UK immigration officer accused of being an illegal migrant himself. PHOTO: Shutetrstock

It is about 36-year-old Besmir Matera, who is accused, along with five other immigration officers, of conspiracy to commit theft. According to the prosecutors, the facts would have taken place in the period 2021-2022, in Dover, where migrants rescued from inflatable boats were taken over by the authorities. Investigators claim that the officers stole sums of money from the migrants' personal belongings and divided them among themselves.

In the case of Besmir Matera, the charges are more extensive. He is suspected of having entered the UK illegally between 2003 and 2004, when he was 14, after attending a school trip from Albania. He was later reported missing in Brighton after his colleagues returned to their home country. In front of the British authorities, Matera allegedly declared that he came from Kosovo.

Prosecutors also accuse Matera of using a false identity in an asylum application, as well as possessing and using false documents, including passports and driver's licenses, on multiple occasions between 2011 and 2022.

Speaking at Westminster Magistrates' Court, prosecutor Rosalind Earis said the defendants were part of a special immigration team managing the arrival of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. According to the indictment, they would have acted in a coordinated manner to embezzle money from the migrants' assets immediately after the rescue.

In total, six immigration officers were charged in the case. All have been suspended pending the investigation and have been released on bail. They are due to appear at Southwark Crown Court on February 26 for a preliminary hearing in the case.

The British authorities said that the investigation is ongoing and that they treat with the utmost seriousness any suspicion of abuse or corruption among staff involved in managing migration.