Rochdale grooming gang leader Shabbir Ahmed
The impending release of Rochdale gang leader Shabir Ahmed, who cannot be deported due to a decades-old legal provision despite being stripped of British citizenship, has sparked a political firestorm in the UK, with Andy Burnham promising to examine “all possible options” to remove him from the country if he becomes prime minister.Ahmed, 73, is scheduled to be released from prison on Thursday after serving a long sentence for his role in one of Britain’s worst child sexual exploitation cases. The victims were told this week that he could not be deported to Pakistan because of protection under the Immigration Act 1971.Ahmed was convicted in 2012 of multiple counts of child rape and sex offenses linked to the Rochdale gang scandal, in which girls as young as 12 were lured, trafficked and repeatedly abused.Authorities described the case as one of the darkest events in the history of criminal justice in Britain.
Burnham promises a review Deportation law
In his first major intervention before taking office later this month, Burnham said the government would review the case and consider all available legal avenues.“Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. The victims must come first,” Burnham was quoted as saying by The Guardian, adding that he would ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review the case and that “nothing is off the table.”
The case has reignited calls to amend legislation that prevents the deportation of certain long-term residents who arrived in the UK before 1973 and have lived in the country for at least five years before starting deportation proceedings.
Eliminate legal loopholes
Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan and later became a British citizen, was stripped of his British citizenship after his conviction. However, under the provisions of the Immigration Act 1971, authorities say he cannot be deported from Britain even though he no longer holds British citizenship.Instead, he will be released on licence, remain on the sex offenders’ register for life, wear an electronic monitoring tag, and face severe movement restrictions, including being banned from entering Rochdale and contacting victims or children.
Victims are demanding stricter measures
The decision angered survivors and their families, who said they had previously been led to believe that Ahmed would be deported after completing his sentence.The father of one of Ahmed’s victims urged the next government to change the law, saying his daughter was still living with the trauma of abuse and feared facing it again.Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman said the case highlighted a wider problem of victims being given inaccurate or inconsistent information about offenders, causing further distress and undermining confidence in the justice system.
Pressure is mounting on the government
Politicians across party lines have called for legislative changes to close the loophole. Former Victim Affairs Minister Alex Davies-Jones described the situation as “appalling”, while former Protection Minister Jess Phillips said new legal options should be explored in cases involving criminals who maintain links to another country.The Home Office said it remains committed to pursuing “all possible options” to deport foreign criminals wherever legally possible, while recognizing that deportation also depends on agreements with receiving countries.