The lengthy investigation was led by the OISC, working with the Bar Standards Board and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
The case centres on former registered advisers, Ebrahim and Co Asian Legal Advisory Centre (Ebrahim and Co), whose registration was cancelled in September 2017 following complaints of poor service.
Following the loss of registration the company continued to work with clients on immigration matters. They practised under the supervision of barrister John Dean of Goldsmiths Chambers. A Bar Standards Board (BSB) inquiry initially ruled that such a supervision arrangement was legal. However, complaints of poor service against Ebrahim and Co continued. Following lobbying by the OISC, the BSB has prohibited barristers from supervising unregistered immigration advisers.
Immigration Services Commissioner John Tuckett said: "This case shows how important is for regulatory bodies to work together to prevent the exploitation of loopholes that may enable unregistered advisers to practise illegally.
"Our priority is to protect the public from fraudulent immigration advisers, to prevent crime, and take swift action when it occurs.
"Collegiate working will result in quicker action against unscrupulous operators who prey on vulnerable advice seekers."
Ebrahim and Co raised an appeal against the OISC decision to cancel their registration, and in 2020 the First Tier Tribunal dismissed their appeal. The tribunal also ruled that a solicitor working for Ebrahim and Co could not legally supervise an unregistered immigration advice company. The tribunal concluded that Ebrahim and Co must stop providing immigration advice and services, and directed an indefinite prohibition.
The barrister involved, James Dean, was disbarred by a BSB disciplinary committee in June 2024 for professional misconduct, with the immediate suspension of his practising certificate. The charges against him include the continued supervision of immigration advisers who had their registration cancelled by the OISC.
