One Pump Court Chambers lodged a formal complaint with support from Garden Court Chambers, a number of immigration teams within other barristers’ chambers, and high-profile individual barristers who specialise in immigration cases.

The Home Office press release claimed there had been “an alarming rise in people abusing our modern slavery system by posing as victims in order to prevent their removal and enable them stay in the country”.

However, the barristers said this “is not supported by any evidence set out in the article”, and the data which is available “suggests that the overwhelming majority of claims legitimately warranted further investigation”.

The complaint alleges that the press release contravenes the core values of the civil service code, in part by “permitting the ministry press office to become the mouthpiece for a political campaign”.

One Pump Court Chambers is awaiting a response from the Home Office within 20 days.