AN OXFORD college has agreed to pay the fees for an Afghan student fighting to remain in Britain so that he can continue his studies in engineering.

St John’s College announced that it was prepared to pay up to £15,000 tuition and college fees as well as maintenance costs towards Azim Ansari, 18, if he is awarded a student visa.

Sir Michael Scholar, the president of St John’s, said that Mr Ansari had approached the college last week to ask if it would give him financial support in the event of securing a visa.

“After consideration of the matter, the appropriate committee of the college decided that monies could be used from the Jukes Bequest to pay his fees and help towards his maintenance costs in that event,” Sir Michael said.

Mr Ansari fled to Britain with his brother Wali from Afghanistan in 2001 and a year later was granted a year’s exceptional leave to remain. By last summer he had mastered English and gained three A levels from City of Bristol College.

However, within weeks of being accepted to study engineering at Oxford, Mr Ansari learnt that his appeal to remain had been turned down by the Home Office, on the ground that the Government believes it is safe for young men to return to Afghanistan.

Yesterday Mr Ansari was reluctant to discuss the next stage in the appeal process, but said that he was pursuing a number of options — including applying for a student visa. The Home Office said that the department did not comment on individual cases.

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