The British government is legally barred from deporting Shabir Ahmed, a key figure in the Rochdale grooming gang case, due to a law enacted 55 years ago. Ahmed was sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2012 at Liverpool Crown Court.
He was one of nine men convicted of offenses against five girls in the Rochdale grooming gang trial. Authorities estimated that as many as 50 girls may have been victims, many from disadvantaged backgrounds. The judge presiding over the case noted that victims were treated with a severe lack of respect due to their perceived community or religious differences from the perpetrators.
At the time of the convictions, Greater Manchester Police stated there was no racial or cultural motive behind the crimes. A subsequent report identified "serious multiple failures" by both the police and local authorities in addressing concerns that had been raised.
Ahmed's situation mirrors legal challenges faced by two other gang members, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan. Both men had their British citizenship revoked in 2022 after extensive legal battles that reached the Court of Appeal. They both cited human rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, concerning the right to a private and family life, to contest deportation. It remains unclear whether Rauf and Khan have been deported.
A Home Office spokesperson described Ahmed's crimes as central to a "grooming gangs scandal that represents one of the darkest moments in our country's history." The spokesperson added that "the most vulnerable people were abused and exploited at the hands of evil child rapists, and must face the full force of the law."
The Home Office confirmed that Ahmed is required to sign the sex offenders' register for life, and any violation of his license conditions would lead to his immediate re-imprisonment.