Ahmed Ajina misled a client and a law firm for over a year after visa rejection, the tribunal reveals
A London immigration solicitor has been struck off after deceiving his client and firm for more than a year over a rejected visa application. Ahmed Ajina, a partner at Seddons Law, concealed the failure of a business visa bid from December 2019 and continued to pretend it was active—falsely citing pandemic delays and even fabricating progress.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found that Ajina deliberately misled both his client and supervising partner over a 16-month period, culminating in what it called a “significant abuse of trust.” His actions included false updates, doctored timelines, and misleading instructions to junior colleagues—all to maintain the illusion of a live immigration case.
In October 2020, nearly a year after the UK Home Office had rejected the visa application, Ajina told the client that their business plan—the first step in the residency process—had succeeded. This was a fabrication. He continued to deceive his supervisor, and as late as February 2021, even drafted a bogus update for them to pass on, suggesting the application was progressing.
“He created a pattern of concealing material facts,” the tribunal ruled. “His behaviour was not a single lapse of judgment but a prolonged deception.” The tribunal concluded that Ajina knowingly exploited the trust placed in him as a solicitor and partner.
Embed from Getty ImagesAjina, who joined Seddons in 2016 and became a partner in 2019, reported his misconduct himself in March 2021. The firm immediately suspended him and referred the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). But he failed to attend the disciplinary proceedings, offering only a vague claim of ill health and an unsupported request for adjournment. The hearing continued in his absence.
The tribunal also uncovered two other troubling episodes in Ajina’s conduct. In one, he instructed a paralegal to mislead another client, falsely claiming that a Home Office email had only just been received—when in fact it had arrived two months earlier and had gone unanswered. In another instance, Ajina doctored a client agreement submitted to the Home Office to make it appear as though it had been drafted in 2017 rather than 2020.
All three incidents, the tribunal said, displayed “clear dishonesty and a complete disregard for professional duties.” Ajina was admitted as a solicitor in 2014, and despite the serious allegations, offered no mitigation at the hearing.
He was struck off the roll and ordered to pay £39,600 in costs, plus nearly £8,000 in VAT. It was also revealed during the proceedings that Ajina is currently a partner at a non-UK legal firm, although no further details were disclosed.
The SRA and tribunal emphasised the gravity of the misconduct, particularly in an area of law where vulnerable clients often rely entirely on their solicitor’s integrity. Immigration cases, the panel noted, often carry life-changing consequences, and the dishonesty displayed here risked serious harm.
Seddons has not commented publicly on the case but has confirmed that it acted swiftly in suspending Ajina once the deception came to light.
