UK government moves to change law to deport Rochdale grooming gang ringleader

The UK government is set to change immigration law to pave the way for the deportation of convicted Rochdale

The UK government is set to change immigration law to pave the way for the deportation of convicted Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed, who was released from prison last week after serving part of a 22-year sentence for serious child sexual offences.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce plans to amend the Immigration Act 1971, which currently prevents authorities from removing Ahmed from the UK.

The 73-year-old was convicted in 2012 of multiple child sexual offences, including rape. He was stripped of his British citizenship following his conviction but retained Pakistani nationality.

Ahmed, known to his victims as “Daddy”, has been described as one of the key figures in the Rochdale grooming gang scandal, in which vulnerable girls, some as young as 13, were exploited.

Under current immigration rules, Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan because of protections within the 1971 Immigration Act for certain Commonwealth citizens who arrived in Britain before 1973 and had lived in the country for more than five years.

Following his release, Ahmed has been moved to supervised accommodation with 24-hour staffing and fitted with a GPS electronic monitoring tag.

The Home Office said he is subject to strict licence conditions, including exclusion zones, an electronically monitored curfew and continued registration as a sex offender. Officials said any breach of these conditions would result in his immediate return to prison.

The planned legal change follows pressure from opposition politicians and campaigners who have argued that individuals convicted of serious crimes should not be allowed to remain in the UK.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has called on the government to support amendments to immigration legislation that would allow Ahmed’s removal.

Home Office minister Alex Norris told MPs that the government would continue efforts to deport Ahmed because of the “heinous” nature of his crimes.

However, government sources have indicated that changing the law could take up to a year, while officials have acknowledged there is currently no agreement in place with Pakistan for Ahmed’s return.

The release has caused renewed distress among some victims. Campaigner Billy Howarth, who has supported survivors since 2014, said the release of Ahmed had had a particularly serious impact on two victims he works with.

“They believe he is the most evil man they know,” he said, adding that both women were struggling following his release.

Ahmed was one of nine men from Rochdale and Oldham convicted of exploiting young girls at takeaway restaurants in the Heywood area of Rochdale.

The case remains one of Britain’s most high-profile grooming gang scandals and has fuelled continuing debate over victim protection, immigration powers and the ability of authorities to remove foreign nationals convicted of serious offences.