- The UK Home Office still lists the Islamic Centre of England as a visa sponsor on July twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-six.
- The centre remains able to sponsor three visa routes, including Skilled Workers and religious worker categories.
- Critics want the licence revoked, while the Home Office says wrongdoing could bring criminal prosecution and licence loss.
The UK Home Office still lists the Islamic Centre of England as a sponsor of migrant visas, keeping open its ability to back Skilled Workers, Ministers of Religion and Temporary Religious Workers despite allegations of links to the Iranian regime and the IRGC. The listing remained active on July 27, 2026.
The centre sits on the official register of visa sponsors in London and has already issued certificates of sponsorship. Those certificates are the paperwork workers need for sponsored entry. The department said it had not sponsored any workers since 2022.
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The charity rejected the suggestion that it serves any government or political body. Its spokesperson said:
"The center holds a Home Office sponsor license, which allows it to sponsor skilled workers where it meets the requirements of the UK's immigration system. The center has consistently maintained that it is an independent UK charity and carries out its activities in accordance with UK law."
The statement was direct.
On July 13, 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the proscription of the IRGC. Support for the group can carry up to 14 years in prison. The government said it had "fast-tracked a change in the law" to outlaw support for the force and give police and intelligence services more powers to disrupt people working on its behalf. The penalty is steep.
The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry in late 2022. The London charity is based in Maida Vale, West London. The inquiry followed a candlelit vigil for General Qasem Soleimani, the IRGC commander killed in a 2020 US air strike, and a rule requiring the board to include a religious representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran. The scrutiny did not fade.
Later reports described a community bazaar selling phone cases and key rings with Soleimani's silhouette, along with other IRGC and Hezbollah-themed merchandise. Security experts warned that sponsorship power could be misused to bring in regime sympathizers or operatives. Seyed Hashem Moosavi, the centre's director, has called Iranian anti-regime protesters "soldiers of Satan." That kept pressure on the charity.
The register still lists three routes
| Route | Register status |
|---|---|
| Skilled Workers | Listed |
| Ministers of Religion | Listed |
| Temporary Religious Workers | Listed |
More than 142,500 organizations sit on the register. The list is broad.
Critics say the licence should not survive the inquiry
Security experts have warned that the sponsorship power could be misused to bring in regime sympathizers or operatives. MPs and peers have urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to revoke the licence immediately. Lord Walney, the Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption, called the listing unacceptable. He said:
"Given its history of controversy and status under ongoing investigation, it is alarming that the Islamic Centre of England is a registered visa sponsor. This is completely unacceptable."
He did not soften it.
The government says consequences could follow
The department left the next move open. A Home Office spokesperson said:
"We take the threat from the Iranian regime and its supporters with the utmost seriousness. If wrongdoing is uncovered, those responsible could face criminal prosecution, the loss of licences and further civil action."
The warning was explicit.
