Bolton, UK – A 28-year-old Afghanistan national, Bakatash Sultani, has been accused of two charges of rape in Bolton and is under arrest, according to British media sources. Sultani is set to appear before the Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court.
This recent case raises new social and policy issues regarding the thoroughness of vetting in the UK resettlement programs of Afghan asylum seekers.
The case is the second of a series of sensitive cases that involved Afghan nationals resettled in the UK. The last high-profile case was of two Afghan asylum seekers Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal who were convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl at Leamington Spa while being under the protection of the local UK authorities.
Growing Scrutiny of Asylum Vetting
These repeated incidents involving serious crimes committed by individuals brought into the country under various schemes are fuelling debates over whether the security and background checks performed upon arrival are robust enough. The pattern highlights persistent gaps in the system used to vet individuals coming from conflict zones.
Pakistan has over the years reiterated the necessity of proper migration management, especially insisting on rigorous counter-terror and background vetting checks for all foreign nationals entering resettlement programs. This is not only essential to national security, but as a measure to ensure host communities’ integrity and security.
The current legal action against Sultani will likely pressure the authorities in the UK to offer maximum transparency and guarantee of security and background checks involved in the programs aimed at the resettlement of the Afghan nationals.
