Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang that abused girls as young as 12, has been released from prison this week—leaving his victims feeling "frightened" and "unsafe" as the UK government scrambles to find a way to deport him to Pakistan.
Ahmed, who came to the UK in the late 1960s, held dual British-Pakistani citizenship when he was convicted in 2012 for multiple counts of rape and sexual offences. His British citizenship was later stripped by the courts, and it was expected he would be deported upon completing his sentence. But this week, victims were told that a 55-year-old law bars his removal: the Immigration Act 1971 prevents the deportation of any Commonwealth citizen who arrived in the UK before 1973 and has lived here for five years.
“Shabir Ahmed, Rochdale grooming gang ringleader, released from jail; UK seeks deportation to Pakistan but faces legal and diplomatic hurdles.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has asked the home secretary to review the case after calls for the law to be changed. Andy Burnham, widely expected to replace Starmer as prime minister this month, was among those demanding Ahmed's deportation.
A No 10 spokesperson said the government has "raised this issue with our counterparts in Islamabad" and is committed to doing "everything possible to deport foreign national offenders". But they stressed the case is "clearly a complex case with implications beyond this specific incident", noting that previous governments have struggled to secure the receiving country's agreement. The UK is now exploring whether an amendment to the Immigration and Asylum Bill—currently making its way through Parliament—could overcome the legislative hurdle.
Meanwhile, Ahmed is living in 24-hour staffed accommodation wearing a GPS electronic tag. The Home Office has warned that any breach of his strict licence conditions would result in his immediate return to prison. But even if the UK changes its own law, it still faces the diplomatic challenge of persuading Pakistan to accept Ahmed's deportation—a step that requires cooperation from Pakistani authorities.