Telegraph : Terror suspect was enrolled at college shut down by Home Office

Terror suspect was enrolled at college shut down by Home Office

A suspect in the alleged Easter bomb plot to blow up shopping centres was enrolled as a student at a college which had allowed hundreds of Pakistani men to enter the UK on student visas.

By Nick Allen and Nigel Bunyan | April 14, 2009

Manchester College of Professional Studies shut down last July after being raided by the Home Office which had picked up "irregularities" in the way it was run.

During the two years it operated the college allowed foreigners to pay for a letter of admission which enabled them to get a student visa.

One of its students was Abdul Wahab Khan, 26, who is among 10 Pakistani nationals still being questioned after a series of raids by anti-terrorist police last week in the North West.

Police made the arrests after intercepting information which led them to suspect that a group from Pakistan was close to launching attacks.

Khan carried a student card saying he was an English language student at the college until April last year.

The Manchester site where the college used to be located is now occupied by another educational establishment, A6 Premier College, which has no connection to its predecessor.

A6 owner Mohammed Rizwan Khan, who is Indian not Pakistani, told the Daily Telegraph: "I signed a lease here in September 2008 and I had no idea what had been going on before.

"We only have a small number of students. They had 2,600 students on the database but this premises could not cater for more than a maximum of 150. It's to make money. People sell papers and when they get closed down they go off and set up another college."

There was no suggestion that the defunct college was knowingly helping terrorist suspects into the UK.

Bogus colleges have become a major loophole in Britain's immigration laws. Many are set up in small offices with websites boasting of world-class qualifications for international students.

In reality, they allow foreigners to enter the country on student visas and move into low-paid, often cash-in-hand employment.

The Government has cracked down on them in recent years, denying licences to nearly 500 would-be colleges. However, Home Office officials believe up to 2,000 with little or no educational value are still operating.

To get a student visa foreign nationals only have to prove they are accepted by one of the licensed colleges, that they are qualified for the course and have funds to pay the fees.

There is only a voluntary scheme for colleges themselves to alert the UK Border Agency if foreign students fail to attend their courses after arriving in the country.

In the last four years around 42,000 student visas were granted to Pakistani nationals.

A second suspect in the alleged Easter bomb plot, Abid Naseer, was enrolled a different college in Manchester called Bradford College of Professional Studies, according to his father in Peshawar.

Nasrullah Jan Khattak said his son was studying for a masters in information technology there.

The college is based in a suite of offices on the top floor of a Manchester business park and has a certificate of accreditation from the Association of Business Executives in its reception.

It offers courses including a one-year advanced diploma in business management costing £3,000.

On its website it advises overseas students that the British Government allows them to work for 20 hours a week in term time and full time in the holidays.

College spokesman Syed Naqui told the Daily Telegraph: "This is a genuine college. It has nothing to do with the one that closed down.

"If anyone applies for one of our courses we check their passport, their qualifications and their right to be in this country. If they meet all our requirements we enroll them. We check with the Home Office and we check their original passport, not a copy."

Because of the long Easter break Mr Naqui could not confirm whether Abid Naseer was currently enrolled at the college.

An investigation has been launched into the colleges some of the suspects used to get their student visas, including the Manchester College of Professional Studies and Bradford College of Professional Studies.

Both the Home Office and the UK Border Agency, which is responsible for controlling migration, said they could not discuss the "ongoing investigation".

But a spokesman for the UK Border Agency added: “We take allegations about colleges and their alleged involvement in abuse very seriously. Those found to be abusing the system can face up to 14 years imprisonment.

“We think it is fair that those that benefit from the contribution made by foreign students also take responsibility for ensuring they play by the rules."