Rochdale Grooming Gang Leaders Remain in UK as Pakistan Denies Deportation

Two of Britain's worst grooming gang offenders, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, remain in the UK despite losing deportation appeals in 2018 because Pakistan refuses to take them back after they renounced their Pakistani citizenship and destroyed their passports. The UK government is engaged in high-level talks with Pakistan to persuade them to accept the deportations, but Pakistani officials state there is no basis to accept individuals who have renounced their citizenship, describing it as "extremely difficult" to repatriate such dangerous criminals. Some Pakistani interior ministry sources hint that progress could be made if negotiations continue, potentially linked to restoring direct flights between the UK and Pakistan, although UK officials say this has not yet been raised. Critics in the UK, including Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, have called for tougher action such as suspending visas and aid to pressure Pakistan into cooperating. The scandal has been revived following a damning government review that criticized police and councils for avoiding investigations over fears of being labeled racist. Meanwhile, the Home Office has deported other Pakistani grooming gang members in recent months, but Rauf and Khan remain the most high-profile offenders exploiting citizenship and court rules to evade deportation.