Sir Keir Starmer has asked the Home Secretary to review the case of a Rochdale grooming gang ringleader amid calls for the law to be changed to allow him to be deported.
Shabir Ahmed, 73, known to his victims as “Daddy”, is due to be released from prison on Thursday after serving 14 years since his conviction in 2012 for multiple rape and sexual offences against young girls. He has also been stripped of his British citizenship, leaving him with only Pakistan nationality.
Legal Obstacle to Deportation
Ahmed is unable to be deported due to a 1971 law that forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago. This legal barrier has prompted the Prime Minister to intervene.
On Thursday, Downing Street said the Prime Minister had asked Shabana Mahmood to consider options for ensuring Ahmed’s deportation, describing his case as “particularly heinous”. In a statement, No 10 said: “We are absolutely clear that where foreign nationals commit offences in the UK we will do everything in our power to remove them.”
Government Response
The Home Secretary is now examining potential legal avenues to overcome the 1971 law and facilitate Ahmed's removal. The government has emphasized its commitment to deporting foreign nationals who commit serious crimes in the UK.
