Illegal immigrant landed job in the House of Commons after gluing a photo of herself onto a forged passport

An illegal immigrant worked in a House of Commons cafe for two months before security noticed she had simply glued her picture onto a fake Swedish passport.

Adeyemi Zubairu was arrested on 2 January after Palace of Westminster security staff spotted the poorly forged ID document while she working as a casual member of the catering team.

The 37-year-old's role at the Despatch Box Café, which she secured through an external recruitment agency, saw her serve coffee to senior ministers, MPs and their guests.

Sierra Leonean Zubairu insisted she had applied for the job in desperation for cash after her aunt, who still lived in her native country, contracted Ebola and needed medicine.

She was granted a suspended sentence today after a judge said she committed the crime for ‘honourable reasons’.

Zubairu appeared at Southwark Crown Court wearing gold earrings, a mint green scarf and black overcoat.

‘Those who use counterfeit passports to evade immigration rules in this country in this country go to prison for 12 to 18 months at least and those who use them to evade employment strictures for six to 12 months,’ said Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith.

‘I think this is one of those cases where I can be merciful and suspend the sentence.

‘You are an over-stayer, you came to this country in 2008 as a student, your visa expired in 2010, you married in 2014 and applied for leave to remain - that leave as it happens has now been granted.

‘You were allowed to work for six months while your application for leave was considered and as part of that application you surrendered your valid Sierra Leonean passport which meant that you didn’t have it in your possession.

‘You have a young sister in Sierra Leone and she was looked after by your aunt.

‘Tragically your aunt fell ill from Ebola and obviously required treatment. That treatment cost money.

‘She died on 30 October and I have seen the certificate.

‘Against that background you decided, against the advice of your husband, to try and get some work to try and get some money towards the medicine your aunt required and the upkeep your sister required,’ he said.

Reports:Daily Mail