A victim of notorious grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed has revealed she was promised he would be deported at the end of his prison sentence, but a 50-year-old loophole in immigration law now allows him to remain in the UK. Ruby, who was raped more than 100 times, said she fears for her children’s safety as the Pakistani predator is set to be released from prison on Thursday.
Victim Speaks Out on Broken Promises
Ruby said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood should rewrite deportation laws to boot out the Pakistani paedophile. Shabir Ahmed will have served 14 of his 22-year sentence behind bars. He will not be sent back to Pakistan because Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973 cannot be deported if they have lived in the UK continuously for five years, a loophole dating back to the Immigration Act 1971.
Ruby said: “There are thousands of victims in the UK who are not being heard or supported because of the actions of the Government. The system is broken, yet they blame it on mental health, when our mental health is so messed up because of how victims are treated – again, with no support when abusers are released from prison. Victims are left to fend for themselves because there is no support.”
Political Reaction and Proposed Amendment
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has declared she will try and force Labour into changing the law. She told the Daily Express: “Starmer’s Government has decided that instead of changing the law to remove Ahmed from this country, we should spend even more taxpayers’ money monitoring him to ensure he keeps to his curfew and zoning restrictions. This is crazy. It is time we got rid of an approach to immigration and law and order that chooses not to enforce tough consequences on the perpetrators of the very worst crimes.”
Badenoch added that the Conservatives will be amending the Immigration Bill to force the Government’s hand. She called on Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor, to support the amendment, saying: “If he has any sense, he will support our amendment and tell all the Labour MPs sucking up to him to support it too. Victims deserve justice. The public deserves protection. Monsters like Ahmed must never be allowed back onto our streets.”
Details of the Case and Victims' Ongoing Trauma
Ruby said she is still being failed by the Government. She told the Daily Express: “Twenty years on – broken victims because of a broken system – things need to change. There has been no support for the victims of the abuse, the offender is being released from prison on Thursday. There is no team of people in place – despite the Government saying there would be a dedicated team for victims – and that has not been done.”
Another victim said: “The 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. This fear has caused severe anxiety, disrupted my sleep, and forced me to drastically alter my daily routines and social life simply to avoid a potential confrontation. The psychological toll is exhausting, and I feel unable to live freely or safely while this individual poses an unmonitored risk to my wellbeing.”
Loophole and Broader Implications
Two other key figures in the Rochdale grooming gang – Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan – have not been deported. All three were stripped of their British citizenship after being convicted as ringleaders of the gang who sexually assaulted 47 girls over two years. Ruby noted that Adil Khan has absconded and there have been no updates. Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor who led efforts to lock up Ahmed, said: “After his conviction, I expected him to be deported at the end of his sentence - I looked him in the eye and saw not an ounce of remorse - the Home Office needs to find a way - it’s what his victims deserve.”
Probation chiefs have ordered Ahmed to initially live in a property under 24/7 monitoring, banned from entering Rochdale, forced to wear an electronic tag, and subjected to strict curfews. A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are first and foremost with the victims of these appalling crimes. 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. The most vulnerable people were abused and exploited at the hands of evil child rapists and must face the full force of the law.”
