Key facts
- Shabir Ahmed, ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, cannot be deported from the UK.
- Ahmed's deportation is barred by the Immigration Act 1971 due to his pre-1973 arrival and residency.
- He was convicted in 2012 and sentenced to 19 years for multiple rape and sexual offenses.
- Ahmed is due for release on July 2 under strict license conditions.
- Victims have been informed of the inability to deport Ahmed.
Shabir Ahmed, identified as the ringleader of a notorious Rochdale grooming gang, is scheduled for release from prison on July 2. Victims have been informed that Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan due to provisions in the UK's Immigration Act 1971. Documents reportedly from the Probation Service indicate that Ahmed's arrival in the UK before 1973 and his subsequent residency of at least five years before deportation was considered legally bars his removal from the country.
The Home Office described Ahmed's crimes as 'appalling' and stated he will be subject to stringent licence conditions upon release, including mandatory 24/7 supervision in designated accommodation and an exclusion zone around Rochdale. Ahmed, who was convicted in 2012 and sentenced to 19 years, was described in court as a 'violent, hypocritical bully'. The gang abused girls as young as 12 between 2008 and 2010, plying them with alcohol and drugs and exploiting them for sex.
Local MP Paul Waugh stated that the people of Rochdale want Ahmed 'booted out of the country' and that the government should consider amending the Citizenship Act if necessary. Andy Burnham had previously called on the government to deport members of grooming gangs. A later report identified 'serious multiple failures' by police and local authorities in addressing concerns raised about the gang's activities.
Ahmed's case echoes that of two other gang members, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, who also invoked their human rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights to avoid deportation after being stripped of their British citizenship. The Home Office reiterated that Ahmed must sign the sex offenders' register for life and any breach of his licence conditions would lead to immediate re-imprisonment.