The British government is refusing to release data on the number of grooming gang rapists deported from the country, intensifying public criticism over its handling of the issue. The Home Office, responsible for immigration enforcement, has declined to disclose deportation statistics for foreign grooming gang members, according to The Telegraph.
One high-profile case involves Qari Abdul Rauf, a convicted ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang. Rauf, who trafficked and raped a 15-year-old girl, was released early from prison after serving only two and a half years. Efforts to deport him and another groomer, Adil Khan, were blocked when the pair renounced their Pakistani citizenship and filed taxpayer-funded appeals, citing potential human rights violations if returned to Pakistan.
Calls for accountability have grown as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer dismissed demands for a national public inquiry into the widespread failures of local authorities to protect British girls. Starmer criticized those pushing for an inquiry, labeling them as aligning with “far-right” narratives. His refusal comes despite allegations that grooming gangs operated in as many as 50 towns, predominantly targeting white British girls and consisting largely of perpetrators from Muslim Pakistani backgrounds.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, condemned Starmer’s stance, accusing him of covering up systemic failures. “We must have an inquiry. The public deserves the truth,” Farage said, describing previous reports on the issue as “whitewashes.”
Analysis from the Centre for Migration Control highlights broader concerns about crime and immigration. Foreign nationals were 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for sexual offenses than native Britons, with over 9,000 foreigners arrested for sex crimes in England and Wales during the first 10 months of last year. Despite comprising only 9% of the population, foreign nationals accounted for 16.1% of all arrests during that period.
The lack of transparency and refusal to address the grooming gang crisis through a public inquiry has fueled public distrust. Critics argue that political sensitivities are undermining justice for victims and enabling continued failures in protecting vulnerable girls.
