British Embassy: Fake documents can get you banned in UK

Just like any other nation, the United Kingdom (UK) will not tolerate illegal means for people to come into their territory. The British Embassy Manila thus urged visa applicants not to submit fraudulent or forged documents-- or risk being banned from their country or filed with criminal charges. In an interview with GMA News Online on January 29, UK Border Agency (UKBA) Regional Manager Ed Mackie stressed that the UK does not tolerate the use of fake documents. “The use of fraudulent or forged documents should be---there’s absolutely zero tolerance from us on this. If we find people submitting documents that are forged or fraudulent or they haven’t disclosed full facts to us, we will not only refuse their application, they then risk a ban of 10 years from the UK if they make a subsequent application,” Mackie said. The UKBA is part of the UK Embassy and handles issues related to migration into the country, including visa applications. Trained to detect fraud The UKBA website lists other consequences of processing fake documents when applying for a UK visa. The site says its officers in the UK and overseas “are highly trained to detect fraud.” According to the UKBA, if an applicant provides false information, documents or passports; lie or withhold information in support of the person’s visa application, the applicant could:

• be banned from entering the UK for 10 years;
• be removed from the UK, if you are already here;
• be charged with a crime, which could lead to a prison sentence or a fine; and
• receive a permanent record of fraud on the UK Border Agency database.

“It is better to explain why you do not have a document than to submit a false document,” the UKBA says in the site. High chances of getting a visa Filipinos need not resort to submitting forged documents since as one follows the rules and passes the appraisal of the UK Embassy, chances are one will be issued a visa. In fact, of the 52,000 visa applications the UK Embassy received from Filipinos, only 13 percent were rejected. Although this percentage is the average refusal rate according to Mackie, it is not as high compared to what he said some Filipinos believe. Ultimately, Mackie said the most effective way for Filipinos to be given a UK visa is to do research and know all the steps involved in the application process. - VVP, GMA News