Hundreds of foreign students never registered as immigrants

Hundreds of foreign students facing massive debts after an English-language college in Dublin closed without warning have been hit with a second scandal — the college never registered them as immigrants.

The mystery over the Millennium College on Dominick St emerged last night after students were told the institution had closed without warning.

Some 300 students found out their classes have been indefinitely cancelled when a notice in poorly written English was put up at the building housing the operation yesterday morning.

The situation has left the students hundreds of euro out of pocket and unsure of their futures.

It is understood officials behind Millennium College, who have yet to respond to requests for comment, registered all students of the group as immigrants for educational purposes.

However, in a statement last night, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service said when it contacted the UK body that supposedly accredited the programmes delivered at Millennium College, it emerged no student there had ever been registered.

The situation contrasts with the records held by the immigration authorities, which claimed 300 students were accredited.

During an investigation into the discrepancy, no attendance records for Millennium College were found to exist since before February 18.

The issue follows similar problems at separate groups Eden College, National Media College and the Business and Computer Training Institute in recent weeks.