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Police fear Pak extremists posing as students may have entered UK | Britain's counter-terrorism police believe that dozens of extremists could have arrived in the country here by posing as students or legitimate visitors, after 13,000 visa applicants have entered the country from Pakistan in a seven-month period since October last year without
any checks on their supporting documentation. The security services are also worried
about arrivals from Somalia, Yemen and North Africa. Police have discovered that
the leader of an alleged plot to blow up shopping centres in Manchester last Easter
ran a visa advice service in Peshawar, Pakistan. He is thought to have helped
other alleged members of his terrorist cell to arrive from Pakistan under the
cover of student visas. At least one arrived to attend a course at a "bogus college"
that had already had its accreditation withdrawn. Whitehall officials are also
concerned both by the relatively lax checks that are made on the visitors before
they arrive, and by the ease with which they can outstay their visas without anyone
noticing, The Telegraph reports. The security services fear that because most
do not mix with home grown terrorists, they are able to operate under the intelligence
radar, acting as sleeper cells until ready to launch attacks in Britain. Every
year around 100,000 visitors arrive in Britain from Pakistan alone, which has
been described by the Prime Minister as being part of a "crucible of terror" along
with Afghanistan. They are supposed to be checked by Home Office visa staff working
in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. But according to an official watchdog,
the Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance, many visa officers do not have enough
time to go through applications carefully. |
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