Why a Grooming Gang Ringleader Was Offered Cash to Leave the UK
A convicted Romanian grooming gang leader was offered £1,500 to leave the UK while he was locked up in a Scottish prison awaiting trial for 10 rapes linked to a trafficking ring in Dundee.
Mircea Marian Cumpanasoiu, 38, was on remand in HMP Perth in summer 2024, accused of raping, drugging and exploiting vulnerable women through a network of brothels in the city, when he was handed voluntary return paperwork under a Home Office scheme for foreign nationals.
The offer was later pulled because of the looming High Court trial. But months after that, while he stood in the dock facing multiple rape charges, his EU pre-settled status was automatically renewed, giving him continued rights to stay in the UK on paper even as devastating evidence was heard.
Cumpanasoiu has since received a 24-year extended sentence for sexual and trafficking offences, including 20 years behind bars and four years on licence, and his immigration status has now been revoked.
Police Scotland released this composite image of the Romanian grooming gang: Remus Stan, Alexandra Bugonea, Mircea Marian Cumpanasoiu, Cristian Urlateanu and Catalin Dobre.
How a Prison Deportation Offer Reached a Man Accused of 10 Rapes
Officials met Cumpanasoiu at Perth prison in August 2024 under a government scheme that pays eligible foreign nationals to leave the country voluntarily.
He was given documents offering cash-assisted return, worth around £1,500, which would have seen him flown out of the UK before any jury had decided his guilt.
Because his trial for multiple rapes and trafficking offences was approaching, the plan was blocked and he remained in custody awaiting court proceedings.
The case has fuelled concerns about how such offers are handled when the individual involved is facing extremely serious charges that directly affect victims, witnesses and public confidence in the justice system.
👉 Related: UNSAFE BRITAIN: The Failures That FREED a Killer. Why Officials Get PROMOTED When Innocents Die 👈
Why His Immigration Status Was Renewed Mid-Trial
The second twist came on 2 December 2024, halfway through the grooming gang trial.
Due to changes introduced in 2023, many people with EU pre-settled status now have their status renewed automatically and electronically, unless officials manually intervene.
Cumpanasoiu was one of those people. While evidence was being heard in court about the abuse of vulnerable women in Dundee, his pre-settled status was renewed by the system in the background.
Only later, after questions were raised, was his status reviewed and revoked, with officials confirming that any future deportation order will cancel his right to remain in the UK.
The situation has intensified debate over whether automated immigration processes are robust enough to flag individuals who have been assessed as a serious risk to the public, especially during live criminal proceedings.
How UK Immigration Rules Handle Serious Criminal Offenders
What Is Pre-Settled Status and How Does Renewal Work?
After Brexit, the EU Settlement Scheme allowed EU citizens and their families to continue living and working in the UK.
People with settled status can stay indefinitely. Those with pre-settled status have more limited rights and typically require extensions.
Since 2023, many extensions are done automatically, without the person having to reapply. The system renews their status electronically unless officials step in to stop it.
This is how someone already on trial for serious crimes could have their status updated unless a manual review takes place.
When Can Officials Block an Automatic Renewal?
In cases involving serious wrongdoing, the Home Office can intervene and stop a renewal if there is evidence that someone may be unsuitable to hold immigration status.
Officials can use information from police, prosecutors and courts to decide whether a person’s presence is in the public interest.
If they believe it is not, they can refuse or revoke status. In the most serious cases, this may pave the way for deportation action after the sentence is served.
How Deportation Works After a Serious Conviction
For foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes, deportation is treated as being in the public interest.
The process usually works like this:
-
The person is convicted and sentenced in a UK court.
-
The Home Office considers issuing a deportation order.
-
A deportation order cancels the person’s right to live in the UK, including settled or pre-settled status.
-
The person may be able to appeal, but only on specific grounds such as human rights issues.
Officials have stated that Cumpanasoiu will serve his sentence and then be considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity, with any deportation order automatically cancelling his right to remain in the country.
What Happens Next for Cumpanasoiu’s Status and Sentence
Cumpanasoiu will continue serving his 24-year extended sentence, including 20 years in custody followed by four years of supervision.
As his sentence progresses, the Home Office will be able to review his case and determine whether to issue a deportation order, which would cancel any remaining right to stay in the UK.
FAQs: Deportation, Status Renewal and the Dundee Grooming Case
Was Mircea Marian Cumpanasoiu actually deported?
No. He was offered a £1,500 voluntary return while on remand in 2024, but the plan was stopped once his trial was approaching. He is currently serving a lengthy custodial sentence.
Why was his pre-settled status renewed during the trial?
His status was renewed under an automatic extension system used for EU nationals with pre-settled status.
The update happened electronically during his trial and was later reviewed and revoked.
Can the Home Office block automatic renewals for serious offenders?
Yes. Officials can intervene and stop an automatic renewal when there is evidence that someone may be unsuitable for status, including those facing or convicted of serious offences.
What will happen to his immigration status after his sentence?
He will serve his 20-year prison term and four years on licence.
During that time, he can be considered for deportation, and any deportation order will cancel his right to remain in the UK, including pre-settled status.
