Rochdale Grooming Gang Leaders Could Be Deported to Pakistan This Year

Two ringleaders of the Rochdale grooming gang, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, convicted for their roles in child sex offences, could be deported to Pakistan by the end of this year after a decade of legal battles and diplomatic complications. Both men lost their British citizenship and renounced their Pakistani citizenship, making their deportation legally complex as they became stateless. Pakistan had previously refused to accept them, but recent diplomatic negotiations have progressed following the UK's lifting of a five-year ban on Pakistani International Airlines, which Pakistan reportedly used as leverage in the discussions. A senior Pakistani official indicated that the interior ministry must provide legal clearance before the foreign ministry can finalize their return, with a resolution expected in the coming months despite the ongoing legal and political complexities. The deportation effort comes after multiple failed appeals by Rauf and Khan against removal on human rights grounds, and they remain among several members of the gang still living in the UK. Immigration experts have expressed surprise at Pakistan's willingness to accept the two men given their renunciation of Pakistani citizenship.