The dangerous synergy of Pakistan’s ‘exported extremism’ and UK’s crisis of integration

In recent decades, the discourse surrounding Pakistani communities in the United Kingdom has become increasingly fraught, marked by intense polarisation and complex socio-political implications. At the intersection of these discussions lie issues of immigration, religion, ethnicity, and identity, each exacerbating existing tensions within both the host society and the diaspora itself. The subsequent portrayal of Pakistani communities often manifests in oversimplified and reductive narratives, which obscure the intricate realities of these communities’ lived experiences.

As an Indian Muslim woman and a public policy professional who advocates for the Women, Peace, and Security agenda on international platforms such as the United Nations, I regard it as both a professional duty and an ethical imperative to foreground the multifaceted challenges faced by women. Addressing these issues with academic rigour and policy-orientated insights is essential to ensuring that their lived experiences are not only acknowledged but also inform meaningful global discourse and action. This responsibility extends to critically examining and dismantling the structural and cultural biases that often shape international narratives.

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One of the most contentious and problematic aspects of the public conversation surrounding Pakistani communities in the UK is the portrayal of certain criminal incidents, particularly mass sexual abuse scandals, through the lens of racial and ethnic homogenisation. Notably, some Western media outlets like BBC often use the term “Asian gang” to refer to perpetrators of such crimes—an umbrella term that uncritically conflates entire ethnic and religious communities under a single, monolithic identity. This reductive characterisation not only distorts the complexities of the specific crimes involved but also risks implicating an entire, diverse continent in the actions of a small, marginal subset of individuals.

The criminal cases in question, including the infamous grooming scandals in cities such as Rotherham, Rochdale, and Oxford, have been misrepresented in mainstream media, where the term “Asian” has been used synonymously with “Pakistani”. In reality, Asia is a vast, heterogeneous continent, encompassing a multitude of cultures, languages, religions, and traditions. From the people of Central Asia to the East Asian civilisations of China, Japan, and Korea, the diversity within Asia itself defies any attempts at broad-brush categorisations. Yet, in the UK, the term “Asian” has often been wielded as a shorthand for South Asians, particularly Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, despite the cultural and ethnic distinctions that exist within this group.

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The media’s focus on “Asian gangs” fails to address the broader socio-economic factors that contribute to such criminal behaviour, including historical marginalisation, socio-economic deprivation, and systemic discrimination. It distorts the issue by focusing on ethnicity and religion while neglecting the underlying factors such as poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and social alienation that are more pertinent to understanding the rise of such criminality. By failing to contextualise these incidents, the narrative reinforces Islamophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments, contributing to a racialised moral panic that has far-reaching social and political consequences.

Moreover, the term “Asian gang” obscures the fact that individuals from a range of ethnic and religious backgrounds—far beyond Pakistanis—are involved in similar criminal activities. The overwhelming focus on one ethnic group not only reinforces prejudiced stereotypes but also reinforces the erroneous notion that Pakistan, as the source of these incidents, dictates the political discourse of the entire South Asian Diaspora, especially in the UK.

The issue of illegal immigration has long been a flashpoint in British political discourse, particularly in relation to the influx of asylum seekers from countries in the Global South. Among these, Pakistan is consistently one of the top countries from which asylum seekers and illegal migrants originate. According to the UK Home Office, Pakistani nationals are frequently cited in asylum applications, with 10,000 claims in 2023 alone, making them one of the largest groups of asylum seekers in the UK.

While some of these individuals may be genuine refugees fleeing political instability, sectarian violence, or economic deprivation, others are part of a broader pattern of irregular migration, often facilitated by transnational human smuggling networks. The volume of illegal Pakistani immigrants attempting to enter the UK via clandestine routes—whether through lorry shipments, false documents, or dangerous boat journeys—has exacerbated concerns over border security and the effectiveness of immigration controls. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has highlighted the growing role of organised crime in human trafficking, with criminal syndicates exploiting vulnerable individuals from Pakistan.

This illicit migration, while presenting an undeniable strain on Britain’s resources, cannot be fully understood without considering the dire socio-political conditions that drive such movement. Pakistan, beset by chronic political instability, economic stagnation, and an inability to provide adequate employment opportunities, has contributed to a large pool of individuals seeking asylum or illegal entry into Western countries. These migration flows, while undoubtedly problematic from a policy perspective, are symptomatic of deeper geopolitical issues—issues such as systemic poverty, governance failures, and violent conflict—that have shaped the lives of millions of Pakistanis.

Among those most profoundly affected are non-Muslim women in Pakistan, particularly from Christian, Hindu, and other minority communities. These women endure a uniquely precarious existence, marginalised not only by systemic socio-economic inequities and the failures of governance but also by the dual burden of their gender and religious identity. As documented by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), they are frequently victims of forced conversions to Islam, forced marriages, sexual violence, and societal marginalisation.

One of the most emblematic cases of this endemic injustice is that of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was accused of blasphemy in 2009. Asia Bibi’s ordeal encapsulates the religious intolerance that permeates Pakistan’s legal and social frameworks, particularly in relation to the country’s controversial blasphemy laws.

In Asia Bibi’s case, the accusation of blasphemy arose after a quarrel with her Muslim coworkers, who claimed she insulted the Prophet Muhammad during a conversation about religion. Her case became a global cause célèbre, drawing widespread condemnation from human rights organisations. Despite being acquitted by Pakistan’s Supreme Court in 2018, Asia Bibi faced violent threats from extremist groups, forcing her to seek asylum abroad.

The UK, however, refused her asylum request, citing security concerns—a decision that drew sharp criticism from activists and global leaders. The reluctance to grant asylum to Asia Bibi highlighted an uncomfortable reality: the UK’s prioritisation of domestic political considerations over its professed commitment to human rights and freedom of religion.

This case also underscores a troubling inconsistency in the UK’s approach to individuals seeking asylum. While the government has stripped certain Pakistani men convicted of heinous crimes like sexual abuse of their British citizenship, many of these individuals remain in the UK, living with their families and benefiting from the country’s social and legal systems.

The implications of these issues extend beyond immigration policies; they profoundly affect the lived realities of women in the UK. For survivors of rape and sexual exploitation, the systemic failures that allowed these crimes to occur—and the subsequent media framing—add layers of trauma. The lack of accountability for perpetrators and the inadequate support for survivors create an environment where justice feels out of reach.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that only 1.6 percent of reported rapes in England and Wales result in a charge or summons. This abysmally low conviction rate further erodes survivors’ confidence in the justice system. For women subjected to abuse by grooming gangs, the knowledge that some perpetrators continue to live freely in the UK compounds their sense of vulnerability and betrayal.

These cases raise difficult questions: why are women—both in the UK and abroad—repeatedly subjected to systemic failures that prioritise the appeasement of certain groups over their safety and dignity? Why is a woman like Asia Bibi, whose life was at grave risk for merely exercising her right to freedom of religion, denied refuge, while convicted predators remain protected within the very system that should hold them accountable?

The interconnectedness of the issues discussed—racialised criminalisation, illegal immigration, the marginalisation of religious minorities, and the persecution of women—points to the broader dynamics of migration, identity, and religious intolerance in both the UK and Pakistan. These issues do not exist in a vacuum; they are part of a larger global conversation about race, migration, and the complexities of identity in an increasingly interconnected world.

For the Pakistani diaspora in the UK, the stakes are high. The challenges faced by Pakistani migrants—legal and illegal alike—underscore the complex and often fraught relationship between the Global North and South. Meanwhile, the persecution of non-Muslim Pakistani women highlights the intersection of gender and religion in one of the world’s most geopolitically pivotal regions.

There’s a dire need for the global community to pay heed to the situation faced by women in Pakistan—especially those belonging to religious minorities. These women endure an unbearable intersection of gender-based violence and religious persecution, and their voices, often silenced, must be amplified. Addressing these challenges requires not only local solutions but also international solidarity, urging a holistic approach to combat the systemic discrimination that permeates various spheres of life.

Addressing these issues requires more than simplistic solutions or reactive policy measures. It demands a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic, political, and cultural realities that shape the lives of Pakistani migrants and minorities both in the UK and in Pakistan. Only through such an approach can we begin to address the broader structural inequalities that perpetuate these forms of marginalisation and ensure a more inclusive, equitable future for all.

Tehmeena Rizvi is a Senior Fellow at Bluekraft Digital Foundation and is pursuing a PhD from Bennett University. Her areas of work include Women, Peace, and Security, focusing on the intersection of conflict, Muslim women, and religion. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.