Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has demanded that Pakistan take back convicted grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed or face cuts to UK overseas aid and visa access. Writing exclusively for the Express, Philp argued that no country refusing to accept its own citizens who commit crimes in Britain should receive financial assistance or entry permits.
Victim's terror after release
Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, began abusing a 12-year-old girl named Ruby in a series of repeated gang rapes. Now 32, Ruby still lives in the area and was left terrified after learning of Ahmed's release from prison. Former police officer Maggie Oliver, who has supported Ruby for years, said she has never seen Ruby so “angry, frightened and powerless.”
Closing legal loopholes
Philp highlighted that Ahmed benefits from a legal loophole dating back to 1971. The Conservatives plan to table an amendment to close that loophole, which Philp described as an early test for Labour leader Andy Burnham. Philp also called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and to ban asylum and modern slavery claims from blocking deportations.
Conditional aid and visas
Philp insisted that every country must take back its citizens who are in the UK illegally or who commit crimes. He warned: “If I were Home Secretary, I would ensure no country refusing to take back its own citizens receives a single penny or overseas aid or receives any visas for its citizens to come to the UK.” He added: “Why should we hand money or entry visas to a country who won’t take back its own citizens?”
Urgent deportation call
Philp concluded that the case of Shabir Ahmed makes it “clearer than ever why we need to deport every single foreign criminal,” and urged that Ahmed be deported immediately, along with all other foreign criminals.
