Ministers are facing significant pressure to deport Shabir Ahmed, the leader of a Rochdale grooming gang, who was released from prison on Thursday and remains in the United Kingdom. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has been tasked with addressing the scandal after initial statements indicated Ahmed could not be deported due to a legal loophole.
Despite being stripped of his British citizenship, Ahmed cannot be removed from the UK under the current 1971 Immigration Act, which protects Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the country more than 50 years ago. There are also concerns that Pakistan may refuse to accept him back, even if the law is changed.
Last night, Ms. Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper were urged to consider restricting visas or canceling aid payments to Pakistan unless it agrees to the return of Ahmed. Ahmed led a gang of nine men who exploited girls as young as 13 at two takeaway restaurants in Rochdale, plying them with drink and drugs. He was convicted of 30 child rapes.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp stated, "It is shameful that a vile perpetrator of child rape and grooming is remaining in our country even after his sentence has been completed." He proposed that any country refusing to take back its nationals should have foreign aid payments suspended and face escalating visa sanctions.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer reportedly discussed the case with officials in Islamabad last month. The case is understood to be under the purview of Pakistan's interior ministry.
Campaigner Maggie Oliver expressed anger that the law preventing deportation was known in 2012, suggesting authorities should have been aware that deportation might be impossible. Ahmed, 73, was jailed for 19 years in May 2012 for his crimes and received a concurrent 22-year sentence for abusing a girl for over a decade. He served 14 years of a 22-year sentence before his release from HMP Leeds.
He is now residing in a bail hostel and is required to wear a GPS tag. He is prohibited from returning to certain areas of Rochdale or his last known address in Oldham. An additional 12-month sentence was imposed on Ahmed for assaulting a fellow inmate.
It emerged earlier this week that Ahmed was scheduled for release, with some victims only learning about it through media reports. Vigilantes are reportedly patrolling Rochdale to ensure children's safety.
Rochdale MP Paul Waugh stated that the individual should not be allowed near his victims and called for an expanded exclusion zone. A Downing Street spokesman confirmed the Prime Minister has asked the Home Secretary to explore all avenues for Ahmed's removal.
Andy Burnham, a potential future Prime Minister, echoed the sentiment, stating, "Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first." He urged the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all options, with "nothing off the table."
Nazir Afzal, a chief crown prosecutor involved in the case, suggested that a solution lies in diplomacy, advocating for ministers to negotiate with the Pakistani government for Ahmed's voluntary departure.