Andy Burnham has declared that if he becomes prime minister, 'nothing is off the table' to deport Shabir Ahmed, the 73-year-old leader of the Rochdale grooming gang, who is set to walk free from prison in just hours. Ahmed, who served 14 years for multiple rape and sexual offences against young girls, cannot be deported to Pakistan due to the Immigration Act 1971, despite having been stripped of British citizenship.
Burnham's Pledge and Victims' Fears
Burnham, the Labour leader-in-waiting, stated on social media platform X: 'Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first.' He added, 'I will ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options – and they should consider nothing is off the table.' In 2022, as mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham had urged the then-Tory government to use all its powers to deport grooming gang members.
Victims have expressed profound fear over Ahmed's release. One victim, identified only as 'Ruby,' supported by The Maggie Oliver Foundation, said: 'I’m scared for my safety and my kids’ safety.' She added, 'The main ringleader is getting out of prison, who is well known in Rochdale, Oldham and Middleton, so even if he’s not in that area, he still knows people and has a chance to talk to people from that area and that makes me unsafe.' Ruby criticized authorities for giving 'false promises' and leaving victims to 'fend for themselves,' calling for a change in the law to deport grooming gang members.
Legal Hurdles and Community Anger
Documents from the Probation Service indicate Ahmed will be released on July 2 and cannot be deported due to provisions in the Immigration Act 1971, which bar removal if the individual arrived in the UK before 1973 and has lived in the UK for at least five years before deportation was considered. The failure to deport multiple dual-nationality men convicted of child sex offences in grooming gangs has sparked deep anger and political pressure.
Billy Howarth from Parents Against Grooming UK in Rochdale shared a statement from another victim: 'The pending/recent release of Shabir Ahmed from prison has had a profound and debilitating impact on my life. I live in a constant state of hypervigilance, fearing for my physical safety every time I leave my home.' The victim described severe anxiety, disrupted sleep, and altered daily routines to avoid potential confrontation.
Ahmed's Crimes and Background
Ahmed, a former taxi driver and Oldham Council benefits rights worker, was jailed for 19 years in 2012 at Liverpool Crown Court, one of nine men convicted in the Rochdale grooming gang trial for offences against five girls. From early 2008 for two years, girls as young as 12 were plied with alcohol and drugs, gang-raped, and ferried to flats for sex. Police said up to 50 girls could have been victims. Judge Gerald Clifton remarked that victims were treated 'as though they were worthless' due to not being part of the gang's community or religion. A report later cited 'serious multiple failures' by police and local authorities.
Release Conditions and Home Office Response
Ahmed, reportedly held at HMP Leeds, will be released on licence with conditions including living in 24-hour staffed accommodation, an exclusion zone around Rochdale, and an electronic tag. He will be on the sex offenders register for life. A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'Our thoughts are first and foremost with the victims. On his release he will be on the sex offenders register for life, ordered to stay away from his victims and banned from contacting any child or young person. Should he breach his conditions, he will be immediately locked up.'
Political and Community Reactions
Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale council, said he was 'deeply troubled' by the news and hoped Ahmed would not be allowed into the borough. He stated: 'If he is seen in our borough, I will demand that he is sent back to prison immediately. As far as I’m concerned, they should have locked him up and thrown away the key.' A national inquiry into grooming gangs was announced earlier this year amid government criticism.
Ahmed's case echoes those of Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, who were stripped of British citizenship in 2022 after a legal battle, but both invoked human rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights to avoid deportation.
