The U.K. passport system is "under siege" from illegal immigrant fraudsters, a Judge said today when jailing a Nigerian woman who used two forgeries to unlawfully gain employment.
"The obtaining of forged passports is so serious only imprisonment is appropriate," announced Croydon Crown Court Judge Simon Pratt. "It is a prevalent offence, so prevalent it seems the whole passport system is under some kind of siege."
Dorothy Onwumere, 42, of Widecombe House, Crawford Estate, Camberwell, South East London pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing false identity documents, namely U.K. passports, with intent, on October 5, 2007.
She also pleaded guilty for possessing an article for use in fraud, namely a National Insurance number card on January 25, this year.
Judge Pratt is constantly dealing with bogus passport cases brought to his court by Croydon's U.K. Border Agency HQ at nearby Lunar House.
The court heard Onwumere's home was raided on January 25 after immigration investigators discovered she used two bogus passports as proof of identity in 2007 when getting a cleaning job.
During the search the National Insurance number card was seized.
There is no record of Onwumere entering the country, but in May, last year she applied for permanent leave to remain under the 14-year concession rule.
She claims to have paid £300 for each passport.
Onwumere was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
Judge Pratt did not make a deportation recommendation but told the defendant: "You may find your behaviour results in the immigration service deporting you."
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