Politics

Public Fury Grows Over Migrant Crisis and System Failures in Deportation

Published on June 20, 2025

As the number of Channel migrants arriving in the UK this year surpasses 17,000 marking a 50 percent increase compared to last year public concern has intensified over the government’s handling of border enforcement and the deportation of foreign criminals.

The outrage has been inflamed by the conviction of Sadeq Nikzad, a 29-year-old Afghan national who arrived in the UK by small boat two years ago and sought asylum. Nikzad was recently sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Falkirk, Scotland. According to court proceedings, he approached the victim in a town centre, asked for her phone number, made inappropriate sexual remarks, and later led her to the back of a pub where he carried out the assault, reported GB News.

A passer-by eventually found the teenager in a state of distress. During the trial, Nikzad’s lawyer, Janice Green, argued that her client lacked education on the “cultural differences” between the UK and Afghanistan. The judge rejected the defence and ordered Nikzad’s deportation after serving his sentence.

However, questions remain about whether deportation will actually occur. There is growing skepticism over Afghanistan’s willingness or ability to accept repatriated individuals, particularly in the absence of formal diplomatic agreements.

Concerns about deportation failures were heightened by the long-standing case of Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, ringleaders of the notorious Rochdale child grooming gang. Despite being convicted in 2012 for abusing dozens of underage girls and losing their deportation appeals in 2018, the two remain in the UK. Reports indicate they renounced their Pakistani citizenship, making it legally difficult to repatriate them.

Pakistani officials reportedly told The Telegraph that returning such criminals would be “extremely difficult,” citing lack of citizenship status as the obstacle. Some have suggested a potential deal could be negotiated if the UK reinstated landing rights for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), previously suspended over safety issues.

These developments come amid criticism of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has been accused of neglecting the escalating Channel crisis. Despite promises to dismantle smuggling networks, evidence suggests the operations are only becoming more efficient. A recent Times report showed smugglers now using vehicles to transport and launch dinghies directly onto beaches, abandoning them afterward—a sign of the trade’s growing profitability.

With migrant arrivals expected to break weekly records due to favorable weather, and little visible progress on deportations or deterrence, public frustration continues to mount. Many fear more criminal incidents involving migrants, especially if legal loopholes and diplomatic hurdles remain unaddressed.

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