Shabir Ahmed, 73, the convicted ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang who was found guilty of 30 child rapes, is due to be released from prison on 2 July. However, he cannot be deported from the UK despite having his British citizenship revoked, because the Immigration Act 1971 shields Commonwealth citizens who entered the country before 1973 from removal.
Andy Burnham's Response
Andy Burnham, the likely successor to Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader, said on X: "Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first. I will ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options - and they should consider nothing is off the table."
Details of the Case
Ahmed was sentenced in 2012 to concurrent terms of 22 and 19 years for sexual offences against children. He was one of nine men convicted for grooming and abusing girls at two takeaway restaurants in Rochdale. Prosecutors identified him as a ringleader. During the trial, the court heard he abused one girl for more than a decade, treating her as a "possession" for his sexual gratification.
Release Conditions
Upon release, Ahmed will be subject to strict conditions, including a lifetime place on the sex offenders' register, an exclusion zone covering the entire borough of Rochdale until 10 June 2034, electronic tagging, curfews, and restrictions on contacting any child or young person. Victims were notified via email by the Victim Contact scheme, which stated that all avenues to deport Ahmed had been explored but were not feasible because he renounced his Pakistani citizenship.
Home Office Statement
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. On his release he will be on the sex offender's 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."
Deportation Obstacles
Ahmed moved to the UK from Pakistan but had his citizenship revoked after his conviction. The Home Office spent over a year trying to persuade Pakistan to accept Ahmed and other stripped members of the gang, but Pakistan has not agreed, partly because Ahmed renounced his Pakistani citizenship. If Ahmed leaves the UK, he will be barred from re-entering.
