A man who fled to Dubai after he was found guilty of an immigration advice scam has been imprisoned on his return to the UK.

Babbar Ali Jamal, a director at DDR Legal Services LLP, was one of three people found guilty of providing unqualified immigration advice and/or services at the Old Bailey in April 2020 following a two-year investigation by the OISC which revealed fees in excess of £2.5m was generated .

Two of the defendants were sentenced last year at the Old Bailey Unregulated immigration advice earns Directors £17,000 fine – GOV.UK but Mr Jamal left the country even though he was bailed to attend court and in his absence was given a £10,000 fine.

In June 2022, having returned to the UK from Dubai, he gave himself up to the authorities.

At the original sentencing in January 2021, Judge Munro QC said:

“The consequential loss and the impact on the complainants is far-reaching and in some cases devastating.”

One victim had to leave the UK permanently; another paid £7000 in expenses to contest a failed application; others had to travel to Shanghai or Bangkok to submit applications which were bound to be rejected; and a couple who travelled for work were unable to leave the UK for two years while their documentation was sorted out.

Mr Jamal was last week sentenced at the Old Bailey to 20 weeks imprisonment and ordered to pay £500 prosecution costs for failing to surrender to bail. Judge Munro QC concluded that by absconding Mr Jamal had caused substantial interference with the administration of justice. He enjoyed a good quality of life with his family in Dubai while making no attempt to make payments towards the £10,000 fine imposed.

John Tuckett, Immigration Services Commissioner said: “Mr Jamal showed a total defiance of the law. This has been reflected in the sentence, and I hope this serves as a reminder to those who might otherwise choose this path.”

Burlow and Spencer Ltd subsequently ceased trading in 2019.

Notes to Editors

The OISC is an independent public body, established under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to regulate the provision of immigration advice and services in the UK.

Media queries to the OISC via communications@oisc.gov.uk.

The refreshed Sellafield Story exhibition at the Beacon Museum, Whitehaven, will offer visitors an exclusive virtual tour of the iconic nuclear site when it opens in July.

Housed in a 300-degree immersive cinema, the tour includes exclusive footage captured across the site and inside some of Sellafield’s nuclear facilities.

Sellafield Ltd director of communications and stakeholder engagement, Kate Stinton, said:

With the original exhibition we wanted to bring Sellafield into the local community, explaining what we do and showcasing the people who do the work. With this update we’ve been able to add an element of taking people behind our security fences, albeit virtually.

The updated exhibition also includes a photography timeline that shows how the nuclear site has evolved over the last 75 years, as well as how our communities have developed alongside the site. People will also be able to submit their own photographs to feature in the timeline.

Other features include hands on games, new early-years activities, and introduces three new central characters – proton, neutron, and electron – collectively known as the Atom Squad.

The collaboration with Copeland Borough Council and the Beacon Museum team is part of our Social Impact Multiplied programme.

Sellafield Ltd’s head of community and development, Gary McKeating, said:

Our partnership with Copeland Borough Council at the Beacon Museum is another example of the power of delivering social impact through collaboration with community partners.

Social Impact Multiplied is part of Sellafield Ltd’s wider sustainability programme and so I am particularly proud that in refreshing the exhibition the team minimised the waste created, recycling 60% of the original wall display materials.

Speaking on behalf of the museum, customer and visitor experience manager, Heather Holmes, said:

This updated exhibition is a fantastic addition to a day out at the Beacon Museum.

I think our visitors are going to love the immersive nature of the film, and all the other interactive elements – it’s a great way to have fun and learn about the industry at the same time.

There are some fascinating old photographs from the community too, and many people will be delighted to learn the ever-popular building block area still remains. I’d fully recommend heading to the Beacon to see what’s new.

The Sellafield Story will be open to the public as part of the wider Beacon Museum experience from Tuesday 5 July.

Actuaries from the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) have shared their expertise at a key actuarial conference. Among the topics discussed as speakers and panellists were disaster risk financing and emerging areas of actuarial practice.

The 2-day event, held by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) was its first fully hybrid conference. Members of the profession attended in person and were joined by a big online contingent.

Disaster risk finance

Joanne Meusz and Chris Paterson from GAD presented alongside Nazira Lacayo of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies speaking from Geneva.

The presentation illustrated how GAD works closely with other professions on disaster risk finance. It was an important forum as we had the opportunity to talk about how this collaboration helps to make the biggest impact to help the most vulnerable.

Chris said: “This was the first actuarial conference in a long time covering all areas of practice. It illustrated how we now need to address multiple areas. This can include climate change, inclusion, a changing regulatory environment, and global markets impacted by the war in Ukraine.

“We now also get to come together in a different way, overcoming the challenges of collaborating while in different locations. I was delighted GAD could make a valuable contribution to the event and join the many other excellent speakers.”

Developing skills

GAD actuary Sara Joslin joined a panel including GAD alumnus and client Daniel Clarke, Director of the Centre for Disaster Protection.

The panel discussed the concept of ‘Tomorrow’s Actuary’. This looked at how actuaries are adapting to roles in new areas of practice, moving away from the traditional realms of pensions, insurance, and investment.

Climate change risks

Sara leads GAD’s climate change work and sits on the IFoA’s Sustainability Board. Commenting on the changing role of actuaries, not least when it comes to climate risks, Sara said:

“Alongside our analytical skills, actuaries are well versed in making sense of long-term financial risk and uncertainty. These skills are highly transferable and allow us to add value to a range of challenges outside traditional spheres of actuarial work.

“Advising on climate change risks is an emerging area of actuarial practice, and one where GAD, and the wider actuarial profession, is increasingly getting involved.

“It was great to be part of this discussion alongside other panel members. I enjoyed sharing my experiences of GAD’s climate work and hope to have encouraged others to follow a similar path.”

Homes England, the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, has agreed a £30m loan to continue the transformation of Middlewood Locks in Salford.

The agreement with Middlewood Locks KLM, a partnership between Scarborough Group International and its joint-venture partners Metro Holdings and Hualing Group, will see 189 new homes built as the third phase of the 25-acre brownfield site.

Middlewood Locks is a significant regeneration project in Salford, being created over a number of phases. Once complete, it will deliver over 2,000 homes, 900,000 sq. ft of commercial space, including a hotel and leisure amenities set in a calm canal side environment with 4.5 acres of public realm and event space.

Just a stone’s throw from Salford Central station and a short walk from Manchester’s Spinningfields business district, the site includes substantial public realm within the design, incorporating the attractive waterside setting of the restored Manchester, Bolton and Bury canal.

Housing Minister Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP said:

The regeneration of our towns and cities is a key part of our levelling up mission. I am pleased to see the progress being made at Middlewood Locks, a major regeneration project for Salford that will deliver vital new homes for the city, create jobs and boost the wider economy. It is a fantastic example of our brownfield-first plan to transform disused land into thriving communities.

Planning consent was granted last year for the Railings at Middlewood Locks following the successful completion and sell out of 1,117 apartments in phases one and two. The multi-award-winning new neighbourhood is already thriving with over 1,300 people living and working at Middlewood Locks with a recent report highlighting a £260 million contribution to the Greater Manchester economy so far.

Peter Denton, Chief Executive at Homes England, said:

With the first two phases of Middlewood Locks now complete, we’re already seeing the transformational impact that this scheme is having on the local area. This latest funding will help to bring forward the next phase and add a new community to the already vibrant neighbourhoods created there.

It is urban regeneration schemes like Middlewood Locks that will support the levelling up of towns and cities, creating places where people want to live, work and play.

The funding comes from the Government’s Levelling Up Home Building Fund, which provides development finance to small-medium housebuilders to help diversify the market and build much needed homes and communities.

This deal marks the second commitment made by Homes England to Middlewood Locks, after the first phase of the project benefitted from both short and long-term loans to support the creation of 1,100 homes, supported by vital infrastructure. The approval of both of these loans for one project is rare and underlines the agency’s belief in the importance of the project to the community and wider area.

Kevin McCabe, Chairman at Scarborough Group International, said:

Securing this funding from Homes England marks a significant step forward in the expansion of our award-winning, mixed-use neighbourhood at Middlewood Locks.

Not only does it reinforce our long-standing relationship with Homes England, it also underlines our joint aspiration for creating a vibrant city centre community through the delivery of a further 189 high-quality homes, together with supporting amenity space and public realm.

With a broader commitment to place-making, Middlewood Locks is just one of the schemes Homes England is supporting in Salford. The English Cities Fund, Homes England’s long-standing partnership with Legal & General and Muse Developments, has also secured a £2.5bn, 240-acre scheme at Salford Crescent in partnership with Salford City Council and the University of Salford, which will bring over 3,000 homes. It will also deliver up to 1 million sq ft of space to innovate and collaborate, 1 million sq ft of offices, retail, and leisure space, and a new multi-modal transport hub with active travel at its heart to the city, all set within swathes of green space.