Shabir Ahmed, 73, a key figure in the Rochdale grooming gangs convicted of 30 child rape offenses, is slated for release from prison within days and cannot be deported from the United Kingdom.
Ahmed, who immigrated to the UK from Pakistan, had his British citizenship revoked during his prison sentence. However, he remains in the country under a provision of the Immigration Act 1971 that protects Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1973 from removal. He is set to be released on July 2, after serving 14 years of concurrent sentences of 22 and 19 years, according to an email sent to his victims.
He was one of nine men convicted in 2012 for sexual offenses against multiple children, whom they groomed at two takeaway restaurants in Rochdale. Prosecutors identified Ahmed as one of the ringleaders. A court heard that Ahmed had abused one girl for over a decade, treating her as a possession.
Following his release, Ahmed will be subject to strict conditions, including an exclusion zone covering the entire borough of Rochdale until June 10, 2034, and supervised accommodation with 24-hour staff. He will also be required to live under curfews and will be electronically tagged. If he leaves the UK, he will be barred from returning.
Efforts to deport Ahmed have been explored, but are not possible because he has renounced his Pakistani citizenship. This situation is similar to two other convicted Rochdale abusers, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, who also cannot be deported for the same reason. Negotiations have been ongoing for over a year to persuade Pakistan to accept the men back.
A Home Office spokesperson stated that their thoughts are with the victims and that Ahmed's crimes were central to the grooming gangs scandal, which they described as one of the darkest moments in the country's history. The spokesperson added that Ahmed will be on the sex offender's register for life, ordered to stay away from his victims, and banned from contacting any child or young person. Any breach of his release conditions will result in immediate re-imprisonment.