Shabir Ahmed, the 73-year-old ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, is scheduled for release from prison this week, but his victims have been informed that he cannot be deported from the United Kingdom. Ahmed, known to his victims as “Daddy,” was convicted in 2012 of multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls as young as 12.
Legal Barriers to Deportation
Ahmed held dual British-Pakistani citizenship but was stripped of his British citizenship following his conviction. However, documents published online, reportedly sent by the Probation Service to one of his victims, indicate that he cannot be deported to Pakistan due to provisions in the Immigration Act 1971. The law prevents his removal because he arrived in the UK before 1973 and had resided in the country for at least five years before deportation proceedings were considered.
It is understood that Ahmed, who is due to be freed from prison on 2 July, will be released on licence. He must initially reside in accommodation with 24-hour staffing and will be subject to an “exclusion zone” centred on Rochdale.
Political Reactions
In 2022, Andy Burnham, then Mayor of Greater Manchester and now expected to replace Keir Starmer as the next prime minister, called on the Conservative government “to do everything within [its] power to deport grooming gang members.” Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, told the Daily Telegraph that ministers should consider amending the act if necessary to facilitate Ahmed’s removal. “The people of Rochdale want him booted out of the country,” he said.
Details of the Crimes
Ahmed was one of nine men in the Rochdale grooming gang convicted of offences against five girls as young as 12. The victims were plied with alcohol and drugs, ferried between flats in taxis, and gang-raped in rooms above takeaway shops. It is believed that as many as 50 girls could have been victims of the gang.
Ahmed was sentenced to 19 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court. During his trial, he called the judge a “racist bastard” and later took his case to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming he had been unfairly convicted. Judge Gerald Clifton remarked that the victims had been treated “as though they were worthless and beyond any respect” because they were not part of the same community or religion.
Failures by Authorities
Greater Manchester Police stated at the time that there was no “racial or cultural” element to the gang’s offending. However, a subsequent report found “serious multiple failures” by police and local authorities, who had not acted despite multiple concerns being raised.
Two other gang members, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, were stripped of their British citizenship in 2022. The Home Office has not confirmed whether either has been deported.
Home Office Statement
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Ahmed’s horrific crimes were at the heart of the grooming gangs scandal that represents one of the darkest moments in our country’s history. On his release he will be on the sex offender register for life, ordered to stay away from his victims and banned from contacting any child or young person. As well as facing strict curfews and restriction zones, his every movement will be tracked, forced to wear an electronic tag. Should he breach his conditions, he will be immediately locked up.”
