Islamic charity accused of being 'Iranian regime outpost' has the right to bring migrants to Britain

By MATTHEW YOUNG and RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT Published: 00:01, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 00:01, 28 July 2026 An Islamic charity accused of being an outpost of the Iranian regime in London has the right to bring workers into Britain. The Islamic Centre of England in Maida Vale appears on a Home Office list of organisations with approval to sponsor skilled worker visas. Licensed visa sponsors have been officially vetted and approved by the Home Office to hire non-UK citizens. The centre remains on the list despite claims it has been involved in spreading pro-Tehran propaganda and has successfully issued a number of certificates of sponsorship – documents required for migrant workers applying to enter Britain. It is currently under investigation by the Charity Commission over alleged ties to Tehran. The charity was reported to the watchdog earlier this year for hosting a 'community bazaar' where stalls sold pro-Tehran key rings and Hezbollah-themed phone cases. Other stalls sold stickers featuring the silhouette of General Qassim Soleimani, former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). When Soleimani was killed in an American air strike in 2020, the centre hosted a candlelit vigil. Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns called for the centre to be immediately removed from the list. The Islamic Centre of England in Maida Vale appears on a Home Office list of organisations with approval to sponsor skilled worker visas 'This is a bona-fide backdoor into the UK for Iranian agents,' she said. 'For years I've worked to get the Islamic Centre of England, an indoctrination hub, shut down.' Kasra Aarabi, director of research on the IRGC at United Against Nuclear Iran, a non-profit organisation, called its inclusion on the Home Office list 'truly appalling'. He added: 'This is no ordinary mosque or charity. It operates as the UK office of the Iranian regime's supreme leader. The situation is far worse than has been reported.' In response, the centre insisted it was not a representative of 'any government, political entity, or individual'. A spokesman said: 'Like many charities, faith organisations and other eligible institutions in the UK, the centre holds a Home Office sponsor licence, which allows it to sponsor skilled workers where it meets the requirements of the UK's immigration system. 'We recognise that questions have previously been raised about the centre and its perceived relationship with the Iranian government. The centre has consistently maintained that it is an independent UK charity and carries out its activities in accordance with UK law and its charitable objectives.' A string of Islamic bookshops flogging anti-Semitic texts also appear on the visa list. Some of the books being sold offer outrageous claims, such as one saying that Jewish people have a 'wicked nature', while other texts have been labelled as a radicalisation threat by our prisons. One of those on sale is Milestones by Sayyid Qutb, an influential former Muslim Brotherhood leader who believed Islam should govern every aspect of society. His work also denounces 'world Jewry'. Other texts include those by Hasan al-Banna, the Brotherhood's founder, and Bilal Philips, a cleric banned by the Home Office, who offered advice on beating wives. The books sold by these businesses are not illegal in the UK and in some cases are sold through a number of mainstream platforms. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of the businesses. Your browser does not support iframes. But Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said: 'It is clear the 'skilled' visa route is being abused. 'This is not skilled work by any definition - it is a blatant loophole, exploited by businesses who should never have been trusted with a sponsor licence in the first place. 'We don't want extremists in this country. 'I would like to see these organisations lose their sponsor licence and anyone they have brought into the country who is still here on a temporary work visa deported. 'The Government must urgently review this.' Skilled worker visa certificates were introduced in 2020 as part of a post-Brexit immigration overhaul. The scheme, overseen by the Home Office, allowed registered employers to bring workers into the country to fill jobs meeting a specific skill level. Businesses such as vape shops and newsagents are among those to have been given licences, drawing questions over whether all those brought over are truly 'skilled'. Dozens of official certificates of sponsorship, the paperwork needed to apply for a skilled worker visa, have been issued by Islamic bookshops. Home Office figures show that one of those stores, in Birmingham, has issued up to 16 skilled worker certificates since 2021. A Home Office register says more than 120,000 organisations are licensed to issue certificates of visa sponsorship in the UK. These organisations range from huge firms such as Barclays Bank to small corner shops and vape stores. A Home Office spokesman said: 'The Islamic Centre of England has not sponsored any workers since 2022, and the Charity Commission is currently investigating this organisation. 'We treat the threat posed by the Iranian regime and those who do its bidding with the utmost seriousness. That's why we have fast-tracked a change in the law to outlaw support for the IRGC, equipping the police and intelligence service with more powers to disrupt those working on their behalf, and making it easier to prosecute them. 'If wrongdoing is uncovered, those responsible will face the full force of the law, with the possibility of lengthy prison sentences, loss of licences and further civil action.'