Two members of the Rochdale child sex grooming gang cannot be deported after renouncing their Pakistani citizenship, a development that has stalled their removal from the UK, it has emerged.
Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, convicted in 2012 for their roles in the Rochdale grooming scandal, remain in the UK despite a 2018 court ruling that upheld their deportation following the revocation of their British citizenship.
The UK government has been in discussions with Pakistan to secure their return. However, officials in Islamabad stated they cannot accept the individuals as deportees if they are no longer Pakistani citizens. Under international law, countries cannot deport individuals if doing so would leave them stateless.
It is reported that both Rauf, 55, and Khan, 54, tore up their Pakistani passports and renounced their citizenship after the 2018 ruling. A third gang member, Abdul Aziz, was also allowed to stay in the UK after tearing up his passport, which prevented authorities from enforcing his deportation.
A Pakistan interior ministry source confirmed that Pakistan has no legal obligation to accept the men but indicated that progress could be made through negotiations.
The two men were among nine convicted in 2012 for sexually exploiting 47 girls in Rochdale between 2008 and 2009. They had previously lost appeals against their deportation.
The UK Home Office has deported several other Pakistani nationals convicted of similar offences in recent months, including individuals from the Rotherham grooming gang.
Ongoing talks are being led by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and supported by Home Office ministers and Lord Khan, according to government sources. No formal agreement on the deportation of Rauf and Khan has yet been announced.
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