Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is actively exploring all possible options to deport Shabir Ahmed, the 73-year-old leader of a notorious Rochdale grooming gang, following his release from prison on Thursday. Ahmed served 14 years of a 19-year sentence for offenses against five girls but cannot currently be deported to Pakistan under existing laws, despite having his British citizenship revoked.
Government Review and Political Pressure
On Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer tasked the Home Secretary with reviewing the case amid growing calls for legal changes. Prime Minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham stated that nothing should be off the table to remove Ahmed from Britain. A government spokeswoman said: "We are committed to doing everything possible to deport foreign national offenders and are clear they should have no place in this country. As previous governments have found, this necessarily involves the agreement of the receiving country, which has not always been possible in some countries. But we are currently working with colleagues across government to explore all possible options to deport this vile criminal."
Legal Hurdles: The 1971 Law
Ahmed cannot be deported due to a 1971 law that prohibits the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago. He was released on licence and must initially live at a 24-hour-staffed bail hostel, wear an electronic GPS tag, and is barred from parts of Rochdale or his last known address in Oldham. In a statement, No 10 said: "We are absolutely clear that where foreign nationals commit offences in the UK we will do everything in our power to remove them."
Victims' Fears and Calls for Justice
Victims have expressed deep concerns about Ahmed's release. One woman, known as Amber, said she was "absolutely furious" that officials did not inform her of his release, adding: "I had to find out about it from the media, in the week of his release." She reported being unable to sleep and feeling "physically sick," fearing for her children's safety. "He has contacts in Rochdale. They operated as a gang - so even if he stays out of Rochdale, he could still get other men to do what he wants," she said. Amber's statement was released by the Centre for Women's Justice, whose solicitor Kate Ellis called it "completely unacceptable" that victims were not notified.
Another victim, identified only as Ruby, supported by The Maggie Oliver Foundation, said: "I'm scared for my safety and my kids' safety. The main ringleader is getting out of prison, who is well known in Rochdale, Oldham and Middleton, so even if he's not in that area, he still knows people and has a chance to talk to people from that area and that makes me unsafe." Ruby criticized authorities for giving victims "false promises" and leaving them to "fend for themselves," calling for a change in the law to deport grooming gang members.
Political Responses and Next Steps
Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh urged Ahmed's deportation in the Commons, stating that the Foreign Office "should do everything possible within their power" to ensure it. Andy Burnham said on Wednesday: "Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first. I will ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options - and they should consider nothing is off the table." Ahmed was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in 2012 as one of nine men convicted of offenses against five girls.
