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Rochdale grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed
The impending release of Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed, who cannot be deported because of a decades-old legal provision despite being stripped of British citizenship, has sparked a political storm 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 due to be released from prison on Thursday after serving a lengthy sentence for his role in one of Britain's most notorious child sexual exploitation cases. Victims were informed this week that he cannot be deported to Pakistan because of protections under the Immigration Act 1971.Ahmed was convicted in 2012 for multiple child rape and sexual offences linked to the Rochdale grooming gang scandal, in which girls as young as 12 were groomed, trafficked and repeatedly abused.Authorities have described the case as one of the darkest episodes in Britain's criminal justice history.
Burnham promises review of deportation law
Making his first major intervention ahead of taking office later this month, Burnham said the government would revisit the case and consider every legal avenue available."Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. 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 had lived in the country for at least five years before deportation proceedings were initiated.
Legal loophole blocks removal
Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan and later acquired British citizenship, was stripped of his UK nationality following his conviction. However, under provisions of the Immigration Act 1971, authorities say he cannot be removed from Britain despite no longer holding British citizenship.He will instead be released on licence, remain on the sex offenders' register for life, wear an electronic monitoring tag, and face strict movement restrictions, including a ban from entering Rochdale and contacting victims or children.
Victims demand tougher action
The decision has angered survivors and their families, who say they were previously led to believe Ahmed would be deported after completing his sentence.The father of one of Ahmed's victims urged the incoming government to change the law, saying his daughter continues to live with the trauma of the abuse and fears encountering him again.Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman said the case highlighted a wider problem of victims being given inaccurate or inconsistent information about offenders, causing additional distress and undermining confidence in the justice system.
Pressure mounts on government
Politicians across party lines have called for legislative changes to close the loophole. Former victims' minister Alex Davies-Jones described the situation as "horrific", while former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said fresh legal options should be explored in cases involving offenders who retain links to another country.The Home Office said it remained committed to pursuing "all possible options" to deport foreign national offenders wherever legally possible, while acknowledging that deportation also depends on agreements with receiving countries.
