A Liberal Democrat Lord has admitted illegally smuggling a two-year-old boy into the UK by claiming the child was his son. Qurban Hussain lied to the British High Commission in Islamabad about the child’s true parentage after his poverty-stricken Kashmiri parents begged his wife to adopt the boy. The life peer, who is Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s diversity adviser, now faces being investigated by police under the 1971 Immigration Act. But the 58-year-old, from Luton, insists that although it was legally wrong ‘morally it was the right thing to do’. Lord Hussain, pictured with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, realises what he did was 'legally wrong' but insists it was the 'morally right'. A Lib Dem spokesman said the party is looking into the matter . The Sunday Mirror revealed Lord Hussain told officials the boy, who was born in Pakistan in 1990, had the right to British citizenship as he was the father. The boy, now 23, was flown to the UK at the age of two – and given a British passport soon after. ‘I know now it is illegal. I realise it was legally wrong but morally it was the right thing to do,’ he told the Mirror. Lord Hussain explained he and his wife had ‘adopted’ the child to save him from a life of poverty, but had never filed the correct paperwork. Lord Qurban Hussain admits he illegally brought the boy to the UK by telling officials he was the father . He said: ‘The child’s mother begged my wife to take him. You have never seen levels of poverty like this family lived in.’ He added his ‘son’ is a university graduate and he and his wife are ‘very proud’. But the father-of-four, who has been outspoken of the dangers of illegal immigration, admitted that he didn’t realise it would come back to haunt him and his action were ‘a shame’ on him. Despite calls to resign from Labour MP John Mann, he has reportedly vowed not to quit his peerage as his ‘conscience was clear’. Lord Hussain has informed Lib Dem officials of the actions, but believes his actions were right. A Liberal Democrat spokesman said the party are investigating the matter. He said: ‘The party is aware of this and looking into it.’ Rules dictate that peers can be suspended or disciplined, but cannot be excluded from the House of Lords unless they have a conviction for an offence that carries a jail sentence of a year or more. Lord Hussain became a prominent figure in the Lib Dems after Mr Clegg approached him to represent the party in the Upper House. He was made a life peer in January 2011. His first act in Parliament was to discuss immigration and the risks of breaching immigration law. The Deputy Prime Minister recently vowed to remain tough on immigration after dramatically admitting he was wrong to offer amnesty to illegal immigrants in 2013. Lord Qurban Hussain was made a life peer in 2011 . Born in Kashmir, Qurban Hussain came to live in England in 1971 as a teenager. After moving to Luton in 1993, he joined the Trade Union Movement and served as a secretary for Luton TUC from 1994 until 1996. He was a member of the Labour Party from 1996, but joined the Liberal Democrats on March 20, 2003 - the day the war in Iraq began and campaigned against the conflict. He was subsequently elected a Lib Dem councillor on Luton Borough Council. As a member of the council's executive, he held the portfolios of citizenship, community, youth and leisure services as well as Equalities and Social Inclusion from 2003 to 2007. He was the deputy leader of the Luton Borough Council from 2005 to 2007. Lord Hussain was unsuccessful as a Parliamentary candidate for Luton South in 2005 and 2010, although he doubled the Liberal Democrat Party vote when he stood in 2005. After being awarded his peerage in 2011, he said: 'I now see this appointment as an opportunity to represent Luton in a major national forum. 'An opportunity to promote Luton’s cause and to work for resources to advance Luton’s regeneration and to enhance education, employment, training and life chances for young people in our town.' Source: Liberal Democrats . He ditched the party’s policy of allowing foreigners to ‘earn’ British citizenship by living in the UK for a decade without being caught by the authorities – claiming it risked ‘undermining public confidence’ in the entire immigration system. Last month, he blasted the Conservatives for failing to deliver on their promise of slashing migration figures. He said: ‘What we need to do and get on with - something I've been getting on with during my time in government - is, for instance, re-establishing the proper border controls at our borders so that we not only count people in, but we count people out.’ MailOnline has contacted Lord Hussain for comment.
Qurban Hussain admits he lied to British High Commission in Islamabad . The life peer is Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s diversity adviser . Boy, now 23, was flown from Pakistan at two and given British passport . The 58-year-old insists although 'legally wrong' it was ‘morally right'
He explains he 'adopted' boy, who was born to poverty-stricken couple in Kashmir, after birth mother 'begged his wife to take him'