Key facts
- Shabir Ahmed, ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang, is to be released from prison.
- Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan due to the Immigration Act 1971.
- The act bars deportation for those who arrived before 1973 and lived in the UK for over five years.
- Ahmed was jailed for 19 years in 2012 for crimes against young girls.
- He will be subject to strict licence conditions, including supervised accommodation and an exclusion zone.
Shabir Ahmed, identified as the ringleader of a notorious grooming gang in Rochdale, is scheduled for release from prison this week. Victims have been informed that Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan due to specific provisions within 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 has described Ahmed's crimes as 'appalling' and stated he will be subject to stringent licence conditions upon his release. These conditions include 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 over a two-year period from early 2008, plying them with alcohol and drugs and exploiting them for sex.
Concerns have been raised by local MP Paul Waugh, who 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, a prominent political figure, 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.