The UK government is “looking at every route” to deport Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, who is set to be released from prison on Thursday after serving 14 years of a 19-year sentence. The 73-year-old, known to his victims as Daddy, was convicted in 2012 for multiple rape and sexual offences against young girls.
Legal Barriers to Deportation
Despite being stripped of his British citizenship, Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan due to provisions in the Immigration Act 1971. These provisions bar removal if the person arrived in the UK before 1973 and has lived in the UK for at least five years before deportation was considered. Baroness Jacqui Smith, a Labour minister, explained to LBC on Thursday morning that Ahmed is one of a “small number” of people who came to the UK from Commonwealth countries 50 years ago whom the law prevents from being deported.
Government Efforts and Political Reactions
Baroness Smith also suggested that Pakistan had refused to accept Ahmed, stating there is “work that needs to happen” to persuade the country to accept him if deported. She said: “We’re doing everything we can, looking at every route to get this guy out of the country.” Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called for Ahmed’s removal and urged senior ministers to “review all possible options” for his deportation. In the House of Lords, Justice Minister Lord Timpson said Ahmed would be subject to “substantial and robust licence conditions”, including the possibility of being recalled to prison, and would “know that the eyes of the state will be on him 24 hours a day”.
Victims’ Fears and Calls for Legal Reform
Victims have expressed fears for their safety after Ahmed’s release. One 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 called for a change in the law to enable the deportation of grooming gang members, stating that victims had been given “false promises” and left to “fend for themselves” due to a lack of support from authorities.
Details of Ahmed’s Conviction and Release Conditions
Ahmed was sentenced to 19 years at Liverpool Crown Court in 2012 as one of nine men convicted of offences against five girls. He is reportedly being held at HMP Leeds and will be released on licence with terms requiring him to initially live in 24-hour staffed accommodation, not return to his last known address on Windsor Avenue in Oldham, and be subject to an “exclusion zone” centred on Rochdale.
