Overview

• Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan remain in the UK despite 2018 deportation orders after renouncing their Pakistani citizenship to thwart removal.
• Foreign Secretary David Lammy is leading high-level negotiations with Pakistan to secure the pair’s repatriation.
• Pakistani officials have linked their return to the resumption of direct flights by Pakistan International Airlines, which is pending an independent UK safety review.
• Since last September, the Home Office has deported other Pakistani nationals convicted in grooming cases, including offenders from Rotherham and Rochdale.
• Baroness Casey’s recent audit of the scandal highlighted failures by police and councils to investigate abuse cases, fueling political calls for stronger leverage over uncooperative countries.