The United Kingdom government is set to amend the 1971 Immigration Act to enable the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang who was recently released from prison. The change in law is intended to address a loophole that currently prevents Ahmed's removal from the UK.
Ahmed, 73, was sentenced to 22 years in August 2012 for multiple child sexual offenses, including rape. He was released on license last week. His victims referred to him as "Daddy." Ahmed held dual British and Pakistani citizenship but was stripped of his British citizenship following his 2012 conviction.
At the time of his release, victims were informed that Ahmed could not be deported to Pakistan because of a provision in the 55-year-old Immigration Act. This act prohibits the removal of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1973 and have resided in the country for at least five years.
Following his release from prison, Ahmed has been placed in accommodation with 24-hour staffing and fitted with an electronic GPS monitoring tag. Some of his victims have expressed fear and a sense of unsafety following his release. The government has stated that any violation of Ahmed's strict license conditions while he remains in the UK would lead to his immediate return to prison.
The home secretary is expected to outline the planned amendments to the 1971 Immigration Act on Monday.