Key facts
- Shabir Ahmed, ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, is to be released from prison this week.
- Ahmed, 73, was convicted in 2012 of multiple rape and sexual offenses against girls.
- He was stripped of his British citizenship after his conviction.
- Deportation to Pakistan is barred by the Immigration Act 1971.
- Ahmed will be released on license with strict conditions, including an exclusion zone.
Shabir Ahmed, the 73-year-old ringleader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang, is scheduled for release from prison this week. Convicted in 2012 for multiple counts of rape and sexual offenses against girls, Ahmed was stripped of his British citizenship. However, he cannot be deported to Pakistan due to provisions in the Immigration Act 1971, which prevents the removal of individuals who arrived in the UK before 1973 and have resided there for at least five years.
Documents from the Probation Service indicate Ahmed's release is set for July 2. He will be released on license and subject to stringent conditions, including residing at a 24-hour staffed accommodation and adhering to an exclusion zone centered on Rochdale. Victims have been informed of his impending release and the inability to deport him.
Local politicians have voiced strong opposition to this outcome. Paul Waugh, MP for Rochdale, stated that the community wants Ahmed removed from the country and called for amendments to the Citizenship Act if necessary. He and MP Jim McMahon have met with Justice Minister Jake Richards to discuss closing the loophole in the 1971 Immigration Act and are raising the issue with the Home Secretary. Andy Burnham, previously called on the government to deport grooming gang members.
Ahmed was originally jailed for 19 years at Liverpool Crown Court. The Rochdale grooming gang's crimes, which occurred between early 2008 and 2010, involved girls as young as 12 being plied with alcohol and drugs, gang-raped, and used for sex. Nine men, including Ahmed, were convicted of offenses against five girls, though police suggested as many as 50 girls could have been victims. A subsequent report identified serious failures by police and local authorities in addressing concerns raised at the time. Ahmed had previously taken his case to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming an unfair trial, which was rejected.