Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has pledged to deport grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed after closing a legal loophole that had allowed him to evade removal from the UK. Ahmed, 73, was convicted of 30 child rape offences and served 14 years of a 22-year sentence before being released. He had been protected by Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971, which grants Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973 immunity from deportation.
Government Amendment Targets Serious Criminals
Under proposed changes to the Immigration and Asylum Bill, foreign criminals convicted of serious offences such as human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, war crimes, or those posing a national security threat will lose the protection of Section 7. Mahmood stated: "In response to the widely reported case of the vile grooming gang leader, Shabir Ahmed, our amendment will provide the Home Secretary with a new power to disapply Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971 for serious criminals." She added that while the amendment does not guarantee Ahmed's removal, it removes a key barrier.
Diplomatic Standoff with Pakistan
Pakistan has refused to accept Ahmed's return, demanding instead the extradition of two political dissidents: Shahzad Akbar, a former cabinet member under Imran Khan, and Adil Raja, a journalist and ex-military officer, for alleged "fake news" and anti-state propaganda. Mahmood hinted at visa sanctions if Pakistan does not cooperate, with the Prime Minister's spokesman stating: "All options remain on the table where countries don’t co-operate on the return of their nationals."
Broader Immigration Reforms
The Labour government's Immigration and Asylum Bill also aims to make it harder for foreign criminals and rejected asylum seekers to use human rights laws to block removal, streamline appeals, force migrants to repay accommodation costs, and enable fast-track deportations. However, the bill faces internal opposition from Labour MPs concerned about extending the wait for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years for migrants who arrived during the "Boriswave" between 2021 and 2024. A compromise may allow those migrants to apply after five years.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the bill as insufficient: "There are some small improvements in this legislation but it falls far short of what is needed to secure our borders and remove those with no right to be in our country." Reform’s Zia Yusuf accused Labour of selling out, claiming the Boriswave migrants will cost taxpayers £622 billion over their lifetimes.
