Outraged public call for law change over grooming gang leader release | UK | News
The release from prison of a convicted Rochdale grooming ring ringleader has triggered fresh pressure on Labor to change immigration laws that already prevent him from being deported from the UK.
Shabir Ahmed, 73, was released on Thursday after serving 14 years of a more than 20-year prison sentence for raping 30 children.
Although he has been stripped of his British citizenship, he cannot be removed from the country under provisions of the Immigration Act 1971 that protect some Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973.
The case has intensified calls for ministers to close a legal barrier that critics say prevents the deportation of serious foreign criminals.
Political pressure mounts on deportation powers
Downing Street asked Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to “consider what could be done” to remove Ahmed from the UK, describing the case as “particularly disgusting”.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham also vowed to “examine all options” to deport the “vile criminal”.
The Conservatives have said they will propose an amendment to the Government’s immigration legislation to change the law and allow criminals like Ahmed to be removed from office.
Kemi Badenoch said: “It is disgusting that the ringleader of Rochdale grooming gangs has been released. He needs to be deported and the Conservatives are proposing an amendment to make this happen.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has called for tougher action against Pakistan, including visa restrictions and the suspension of aid if the country refuses to accept deported criminals.
Reform UK chief executive Zia Yusuf said: “If we can’t deport even one foreign national who is the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gangs, what hope do we have as a country? Britain is completely, utterly devastated.”
Labor MPs Paul Waugh and Jim McMahon also called on ministers to “explore every avenue available” to ensure he is removed.
Diplomatic stalemate makes removal difficult
Efforts to deport Ahmed are complicated by conflicting claims about Pakistan’s stance.
Two senior Pakistani government officials told The Telegraph that the country will not accept him because the man, who allegedly renounced his citizenship decades ago, is no longer considered a Pakistani citizen.
One of the officials said Ahmed posed a serious protection risk and said: “Pakistan maintains that a non-Pakistani citizen cannot be allowed or accepted to enter the country.”
A second official said that he had spent almost his entire life in England and reiterated that Pakistan would not accept him.
Legal dispute regarding citizenship status
The UK Government disputes the claim that Ahmed successfully renounced his Pakistani citizenship.
Authorities say he believes he has renounced his citizenship but has not completed the legal process, and insists UK records and Pakistani authorities support that view.
A Government spokesman said ministers were “doing everything possible” to deport foreign criminals, but acknowledged that deportations depended on the co-operation of receiving countries.
Officials are also said to be considering further diplomatic pressure on Pakistan, including visa restrictions, but this has been described as a “nuclear option” to be used only if negotiations fail.
Strict monitoring after release
Ahmed was found guilty of abusing children as young as 12; victims were forced to call him “Daddy” and one girl was reportedly abused for more than a decade.
He was stripped of his British citizenship in 2016 but remains protected from deportation under the Immigration Act 1971, which exempts some Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973; this rule was originally linked to Windrush protections.
Following his release, he will be subject to strict conditions including GPS tagging, restricted accommodation preventing him from entering Rochdale or Oldham, and supervised accommodation with 24-hour staff to alert police if conditions are breached.
Pakistan had previously refused to accept two other Rochdale grooming gang ringleaders, who renounced their citizenship following their convictions, but other members of the gang had been deported.
