Home Office probe after claims high school pupil is 30-year-old asylum seeker

From the Express, the Daily Mail and the East Anglian Daily Times

A PROBE is underway at a high school into claims a 30-year-old asylum seeker is posing as a teenage pupil after lying to British authorities about his age. GCSE pupils at Stoke High School in Ipswich, Suffolk, claim the student is actually a man twice their age who fooled Home Office officials to get an education.

The pupil, who attends Stoke High School in Ipswich, claims to be 15 years old.However, pupils have recently told their parents that he may actually much older than he says he is. The students have claimed that he has been lying about his age to the British authorities so that he could get education here, as his previous qualifications were not recognised in the UK.

The “pupil” accused of lying about his age is currently in year 11 after joining the school in September of this year. He is believed to be from Iran and speaks very little English.

An image taken on Snapchat by one pupil is believed to show the man dressed in uniform in a year 11 maths class.The text across the image reads: “How is there a 30-year-old man in our maths class.” Photograph from the Mirror

The pupil is believed to have had his age assessed by being asked question by immigration officials when he apparently arrived in the UK without paperwork after travelling via Germany. As a result of concerns expressed by parents, the school which is run by the Ormiston Academies Trust has now asked the Home Office to investigate.

The pupil is said to have now taken down his Facebook page which allegedly showed a profile picture of him with a beard, taking a selfie.

One mum, whose son is in the same year, said: ‘Parents at the school have been pulling their children out of school left right and centre. Looking at photos of this man, he is clearly older than 30. . . He could be harmless but he could also be a dangerous man. I am terrified to think what would happen if he started a relationship with a young girl who thought he was her age. My son has always said that he looks older and he says the man does not even speak English. He sits in the class but cannot speak or learn . . .”

Others took to social media to share their views. Mum Hollie Dayinn said: ‘So My son’s school now let’s (sic) in ’30 year old men’ claiming to be a 14 year old. He’s been there since the start of last term. That’s some huge security breach, apparently he sits on a bench at break times close to where a group of girls hang out just looking. ..”

A Suffolk Police spokesman said he did not believe its officers were involved in the case.

Incidently, Stoke High is one of the several schools in south Suffolk that make their girl pupils wear the same trousers, shirt, collar and tie uniform as the boys, in the interests of modesty and gender equality. Young girls in awkward, ill fitting garments, looking for all the world as if they have stolen their brother’s clothes in an effort to disguise themselves so as to get an education, are a common sight all over Ipswich. Maybe too many ‘men from the Middle east’ in the classroom is the reason.