Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign national offenders convicted for their involvement in the grooming gangs scandal were deported; how many deportation orders failed; and for what reason.

The crimes committed by child sexual offenders, who prey on the young and vulnerable, are appalling. It is well-documented that some of those involved in grooming in the UK have been foreign nationals and others have been dual nationals against whom action has been taken to deprive them of their British citizenship in accordance with the British Nationality Act 1981.

One of the Home Office’s key objectives is to protect the public by ensuring that foreign nationals who commit criminal offences are deported from the UK wherever it is lawful and practical to do so. We do this by pursuing deportation against foreign offenders (FNOs) who have committed criminal offences, managing each case through the legal process, and negotiating barriers to removal.

The Home Office published statistics on immigration enforcement activity between 05 July 2024 and 07 December 2024. This can be accessed on GOV.UK on this link: Returns from the UK and illegal working activity since 5 July 2024 - GOV.UK

The Home Office often faces significant and complex challenges when seeking to return those individuals to their country of origin or lawful place of return. Despite these barriers, we are fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws.

The Government will continue to pursue all legal options to act against the perpetrators of these appalling crimes, and to deliver justice for their victims.