Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced a proposed change to UK immigration law intended to facilitate the deportation of serious offenders, including those convicted of organized crime, such as Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang.
Mahmood stated that the amendment to the Immigration Act 1971 aims to remove the ability for serious criminals to use existing protections that exempt foreign-born nationals who arrived before 1973 and have resided in the UK for at least five years from deportation. The proposed change would apply to offenders involved in human trafficking, terrorism, child sex offenses, war crimes, or those posing a national security threat.
However, Mahmood acknowledged that the legal change does not guarantee the deportation of individuals like Ahmed, as their home countries may refuse to accept them. Pakistan, Ahmed's home nation, has reportedly been unwilling to take him back. The new measures are expected to take approximately one year to come into effect.
Shabir Ahmed, 73, was released from prison earlier this month after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for multiple rape and sexual offenses against young girls. He has already been stripped of his British citizenship and is reported to have renounced his Pakistani citizenship.
The Home Secretary explained in the House of Commons that the amendment would provide a new power to disapply Section 7 of the 1971 Act for serious criminals, stating that while the act provides protections for long-term residents, it should not prevent removal in cases like Ahmed's. She emphasized that she and the Foreign Secretary are exploring all avenues for deportation, but acknowledged the current dependence on Pakistan's agreement.
Officials indicated that this legal amendment is the initial step, and Ahmed's removal now rests on Pakistan's cooperation. The Prime Minister's official spokesman has not ruled out the possibility of deporting Ahmed to a third country if repatriation to Pakistan is not possible.
Opposition figures have called for more immediate action. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp urged Mahmood to introduce emergency legislation to amend the 1971 Act when Parliament reconvenes in September, arguing that the current proposals will not be in place for a year. Philp has previously warned that Ahmed is likely to pursue human rights claims to remain in the UK, noting that Ahmed had previously used the European Convention on Human Rights in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn his convictions.
Reports suggest that Pakistani officials have described British government efforts to deport Ahmed as indicative of an 'arrogance and a colonial mindset.' Potential consequences for Pakistan's non-cooperation could include reduced or halted visa issuance for its nationals or the withholding of foreign aid.
The proposed legislative changes are separate from the broader Immigration and Asylum Bill, which includes measures to abolish lower immigration courts and replace them with an independent body, and to make minor adjustments to the application of the ECHR in immigration cases. The government is expected to release further details on other immigration reforms later in the year, including potential changes to the waiting period for indefinite leave to remain, which some backbenchers are urging the government to reconsider for migrants already in the country.