THE government is determined to deport foreign nationals who commit crimes in the UK.

It comes after illegal immigrant Zia Maroof Khail was given an 11-year extended sentence after being found guilty of four counts of sexual activity involving a 13-year-old Blackburn girl.

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Afghan national Maroof Khail, 29, formerly of Holland Street, was described by police as a predatory paedophile.

The defendant, who a judge said used the vulnerable teenager shamefully, claimed he did not know the cultural norms of this country.

A spokesman for the Home Office said the secretary of state has a duty to deport any non-European economic area foreign national sentenced to a period of 12 months’ imprisonment or more.

He said the government has toughened up the system, introducing new powers in the Immigration Act that have cut the number of grounds on which criminals can appeal against deportation.