The Pakistan Government has lobbied for Pakistan International Airlines to fly to Britain in return for grooming gang rapists being deported from the UK, GB News can reveal.
Whitehall sources told GB News that three men born in Pakistan who were found guilty of grooming gang offences are the subject of ongoing diplomacy between the British Government and Islamabad.
Pakistan International Airlines remains banned from flying to and from Britain due to safety concerns.
In December 2021, all Pakistani air carriers, including state-owned airline Pakistan International Airlines, were added to the Air Safety List due to concerns over the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s compliance with international safety standards.
Pakistan International Airlines remains barred from flying to and from Britain
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GB News understands that grooming gang deportations were raised by FCDO ministers with Pakistani representatives, including at high-level meetings attended by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and FCDO Minister Hamish Falconer last month.
Government sources told the People’s Channel that the Government was hoping to have a plan in place to deport all three men before Baroness Casey's rapid audit into grooming gangs was published next week.
The diplomatic attempts to deport grooming gang perpetrators to Pakistan mark a stronger stance taken by Government ministers, who have previously been accused of taking a soft approach in dealing with countries that refuse to accept deportees.
GB News understands that Pakistani ministers raised concerns that the first grooming gang deportations to Pakistan in over a decade could “open the floodgates”.
READ MORE ON GROOMING GANGS - BRITAIN'S SHAME:
'Despicable rape gang perpetrators should be deported as soon as their sentences are served,' Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick fumed
PAA Home Office spokesperson said: "We will always do everything in our power to ensure that foreign nationals who commit heinous crimes in the UK are not left free on our streets after they complete their sentence, including seeking their deportation from the UK.
"The UK and Pakistan are working in partnership on shared migration and return priorities.
"Both countries recognise and respect our common obligations to return those with no right to remain in our respective countries."
Despite the sterner stance from Labour ministers and new efforts to secure the deportations, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was "pathetic" that the Government was "getting on its knees and begging" Pakistan to remove foreign rapists.
The Tory frontbencher said: "Despicable rape gang perpetrators should be deported as soon as their sentences are served and never step foot on British soil again."
'Starmer should show some guts and use every lever of the British state to deport vile foreign criminals,' Jenrick blasted
PAHe added: "However it’s pathetic that the Government is getting on its knees and begging Pakistan to remove foreign rapists.
"They should be withdrawing the £130million of foreign aid the UK will pay to Pakistan this year or suspending issuing the more than 100,000 visas the UK will give to Pakistani nationals, which it has the power to do.
"Starmer should show some guts and use every lever of the British state to deport vile foreign criminals."
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "All Pakistani air carriers remain on the UK Air Safety List.
"We are engaging with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, along with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, about their status on the list and there is a robust process to follow before airlines are delisted."
The Pakistani High Commission was contacted for comment.
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