Rochdale grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed released as UK weighs law changes to enable deportation

The leader of Rochdale's grooming gang was recently released from prison. The government is looking into a way to deport him

BRITAIN’S plans to deport the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang are “entirely an internal matter of the United Kingdom” and have “no connection whatsoever” with Pakistan, the Foreign Office spokesperson told the BBC. Calls have mounted for Shabir Ahmed’s deportation following his recent release from prison, but has been held up due to a law from 1971 that bars the deportation of Commonwealth citizens. Ahmed, who came to the UK in the late 1960s, was one of nine men from Rochdale and Oldham found guilty of exploiting girls as young as 13 at two takeaway restaurants. According to the BBC, he had dual British-Pakistani citizenship before being stripped of his UK passport following his 2012 conviction for multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls. Andy Burnham, who is set to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister next, has described Ahmed as a “vile criminal” who he wants deported. Although Home Minis­ter Shabana Mahmood has indicated plans to amend the law, it appears that Ahmed’s removal from the UK hinges on Pakistan accepting him back. Under the UK government’s proposed amendment, foreign criminals would no longer benefit from such protections when they are found guilty of certain serious crimes. According to FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, the ringleader’s “heinous crimes demand serious introspection rather than the quest to search for extraneous causes”. “The individual concerned is a British national who spent his entire adult life in the UK and was duly convicted by a British court for reprehensible offences committed on British soil. “Any decision regarding his release, supervision of usual legal status, falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the competent British authorities and must be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom,” he said. “The government of Pakistan has no connection whatsoever with this matter. We cannot be associated with any decisions relating to the individual’s release or subsequent treatment under the British law,” Andrabi told the BBC. Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2026

The address of the place Shabir Ahmed was staying after being released from prison was revealed

LONDON: UK Home Minister Shabana Mahmood announced plans on Monday to change British law to allow a convicted paedophile, who led a so-called grooming gang, to be deported following his release from prison. Shabir Ahmed was jailed in 2012 for 22 years for multiple child sexual offences including rape when he was the ringleader of a gang of similarly predatory men targeting girls in Rochdale, northern England. He left prison on licence earlier this month under the country’s early release programme. Calls have mounted for the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, who held dual British-Pakistani citizenship before being stripped of the former following his 2012 conviction for multiple counts of child sexual offences. Immigration laws had prevented the deportation of Commonwealth nationals who arrived in UK before 1973 But a 1971 immigration law has prevented his deportation, as it prohibits the removal of Commonwealth nationals who, like Ahmed, arrived in Britain before 1973. Announcing the law would be changed through an amendment to the Immigration and Asylum Bill working its way through parliament, Mahmood told MPs it would ensure “the vilest foreign criminals” can be deported. “In response to the widely reported case of the vile grooming gang leader, Shabir Ahmed, our amendment will provide the Home Secretary with a new power to disapply Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971 for serious criminals,” she said. “This provides protections for long-term UK residents but, clearly, should not be acting as a bar against removal in cases like that of Shabir Ahmed.” However, Mahmood noted this does not guarantee his removal, with Pakistan required to agree to accept him back. At the moment, it appears Islamabad has no intention of accepting Ahmed, who claims to have renounced his Pakistani citizenship. She added that ministers were continuing “to explore all avenues to pursue a deportation”. Opposition parties have demanded the government pressure Pakistan to comply, arguing it should threaten to cut overseas aid and impose other penalties if it refuses. According to the BBC, it is not known how long it would take to change the law but one government source previously suggested it could potentially be up to a year. The amendment will be tabled under the government’s Immigration and Asylum Bill, currently going through Parliament, which would in effect disapply Section 7 of the 1971 Immigration Act for serious criminals. Ahmed was one of nine men from Rochdale and Oldham found guilty of exploiting girls as young as 13 at two takeaway restaurants. After leaving prison, Ahmed was sent to 24-hour staffed accommodation and fitted with a GPS electronically monitored tag. While he is in the UK, the government has said he would be returned to prison if he breaches a series of strict licence conditions. More than 100 people have been convicted of the crimes, but official reports have blamed authorities for failing to intervene for fear of being seen as racist. Prime Minister Keir Starmer last year announced a national inquiry focused on the issue, which has also attracted the attention of US billionaire Elon Musk. Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2026

Interior minister Shabana Mahmood announced plans on Monday to change UK law to allow a convicted paedophile who led a so-called grooming gang to be deported following his release from prison. Shabir Ahmed was jailed in 2012 for 22 years for multiple child sexual offences including rape when he was the ringleader of a gang of similarly predatory men targeting girls in Rochdale, northern England. He left prison on licence earlier this month under the country’s early release programme. He was...

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood admitted it 'does not guarantee his removal' because his home nation Pakistan is refusing to take him back, and MPs heard it will take a year to bring into force.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood admitted it 'does not guarantee his removal' because his home nation Pakistan is refusing to take him back, and MPs heard it will take a year to bring into force.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman refused to rule out removing Ahmed to another state - not yet named - if he cannot be deported to Pakistan.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman refused to rule out removing Ahmed to another state - not yet named - if he cannot be deported to Pakistan.

Shabana Mahmood is due to set out changes to the law, though it is unlikely Pakistan will take Ahmed back

Calls have grown to deport Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed after his release from prison.

In a letter to David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, MPs from areas in which Ahmed committed his offences have warned he remains an 'unrepentant risk to society'.

In a letter to David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, MPs from areas in which Ahmed committed his offences have warned he remains an 'unrepentant risk to society'.

Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed was released from jail

Home secretary expected to amend Immigration Act but hurdles remain if Pakistan continues to refuse to take Shabir Ahmed backShabana Mahmood is planning to change the law so the government can move towards deporting the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang.The home secretary is expected to amend the 1971 Immigration Act, which prevents Shabir Ahmed from being removed from Britain. Continue reading...

Shabir Ahmed, now 73, who was known to his victims as 'Daddy', has already been stripped of his British citizenship

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the Pakistani-born paedophile is highly likely to lodge - and win - appeals brought under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the Pakistani-born paedophile is highly likely to lodge - and win - appeals brought under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Labour is exploring emergency legislation to deport a grooming gang leader. Shabir Ahmed, convicted of child rape, was released after serving fourteen years. He is currently exempt from deportation due to an old immigration law. The government is considering legislative changes to address this loophole. Discussions are ongoing with Pakistan to facilitate his removal from the UK.

Shabir Ahmed, now 73, known to his victims as 'Daddy' has been stripped of his citizenship, but cannot be deported due to a 1971 law

Rochdale gang leader Shabir Ahmed, 73, was released from HMP Leeds on Thursday after serving just 14 years of the 22-year sentence  handed to him in 2012 for the crime of 30 child rape offences.

The UK government is in talks with Pakistan over the possibility of deporting a leader of the Rochdale grooming gang to the country, the BBC reported on Friday. Shabbir Ahmed, who has dual British-Pakistani citizenship, was released from prison this week after his 2012 conviction on multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls. British officials told his victims that Ahmed could not be deported to Pakistan because of a 55-year-old law barring his removal. However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has asked the home secretary to review Ahmed’s case following calls for his deportation from the UK. The BBC reported that Andy Burnham, who is widely tipped as a future leader, was among those calling for Ahmed to be deported. “We have raised this issue with our counterparts in Islamabad and we are committed to doing everything possible to deport foreign national offenders, and we’re clear that they should have no place in this country,” said a spokesperson for the British premier’s office. “As previous governments have found, this necessarily involves the agreement of the receiving country - which has not always been possible - but we are currently working across government to explore all possible options in this case.” The prime minister’s spokesperson stated that the UK would “do everything in our power to remove” Ahmed, but added that it was “clearly a complex case with implications beyond this specific incident”. The BBC reported that Ahmed was released from prison on Thursday and is now residing in 24-hour staffed accommodation, where he is being monitored with an electronic GPS tag. The Home Office said any breach of his strict licence conditions would result in his immediate return to prison. Ahmed went to the UK in the late 1960s and held dual citizenship at the time of his conviction. The BBC reported that his British citizenship was revoked by the courts after he was jailed, and he was expected to be deported upon completion of his sentence. Earlier this week, victims of the grooming gang were informed that provisions of the Immigration Act 1971 barred the removal of any Commonwealth citizen who arrived in the UK before 1973 and had been resident in the country for at least five years, added the BBC report. Ahmed was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2012, as one of nine men convicted in the Rochdale grooming gang trial of offences against children.

The UK government is in talks with Pakistan over the possibility of deporting a leader of the Rochdale grooming gang to the country, the BBC reported on Friday. Shabbir Ahmed, who has dual British-Pakistani citizenship, was released from prison this week after his 2012 conviction on multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls. British officials told his victims that Ahmed could not be deported to Pakistan because of a 55-year-old law barring his removal. However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has asked the home secretary to review Ahmed’s case following calls for his deportation from the UK. The BBC reported that Andy Burnham, who is widely tipped as a future leader, was among those calling for Ahmed to be deported. “We have raised this issue with our counterparts in Islamabad and we are committed to doing everything possible to deport foreign national offenders, and we’re clear that they should have no place in this country,” said a spokesperson for the British premier’s office. “As previous governments have found, this necessarily involves the agreement of the receiving country - which has not always been possible - but we are currently working across government to explore all possible options in this case.” The prime minister’s spokesperson stated that the UK would “do everything in our power to remove” Ahmed, but added that it was “clearly a complex case with implications beyond this specific incident”. The BBC reported that Ahmed was released from prison on Thursday and is now residing in 24-hour staffed accommodation, where he is being monitored with an electronic GPS tag. The Home Office said any breach of his strict licence conditions would result in his immediate return to prison. Ahmed went to the UK in the late 1960s and held dual citizenship at the time of his conviction. The BBC reported that his British citizenship was revoked by the courts after he was jailed, and he was expected to be deported upon completion of his sentence. Earlier this week, victims of the grooming gang were informed that provisions of the Immigration Act 1971 barred the removal of any Commonwealth citizen who arrived in the UK before 1973 and had been resident in the country for at least five years, added the BBC report. Ahmed was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2012, as one of nine men convicted in the Rochdale grooming gang trial of offences against children.

Exclusive: Shabir Ahmed, jailed in 2012 for rape, abuse and trafficking of girls, was deemed three years ago to present ‘high risk of sexual offending’The leader of the Rochdale grooming gang was deemed to pose a “very high risk of serious harm” towards children just three years ago, the Guardian can reveal.Shabir Ahmed, 73, was freed from HMP Leeds on Thursday despite three failed attempts to secure parole, the most recent of which was in October 2024. One document, relating to a previous review in 2023, shows Ahmed was seen to present a “high risk of sexual offending”. Continue reading...

It comes after Shabir Ahmed was released from prison yesterday

It's disgusting. Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the most infamous Rochdale grooming gang, has been released not just early from prison but he's not going to be deported.

It's disgusting. Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the most infamous Rochdale grooming gang, has been released not just early from prison but he's not going to be deported.

Shabir Ahmed has been released from prison

Amid mounting fury that Shabir Ahmed - who was freed from jail today - cannot be deported to Pakistan, disturbing new detail can now be revealed about the potential risk posed by the 73-year-old.

Amid mounting fury that Shabir Ahmed - who was freed from jail today - cannot be deported to Pakistan, disturbing new detail can now be revealed about the potential risk posed by the 73-year-old.

Rochdale grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed's release after 14 years has sparked outrage as a legal loophole prevents his deportation despite serious sexual offence convictions. Ahmed, stripped of citizenship, remains in the UK due to old immigration laws protecting pre-1973 Commonwealth settlers. Victims and campaigners decry the justice system's failure, while strict licence conditions aim to protect the public. The case intensifies calls for immigration law reform.

Shabir Ahmed, 73, was a ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang and was convicted of 30 child rapes. He has now been released from prison but cannot be deported from the UK under the Immigration Act 1971

Shabir Ahmed, 73, was a ringleader in the Rochdale grooming gang and was convicted of 30 child rapes, but he cannot be deported from the UK

Shabir Ahmed, 73, is leaving HMP Leeds on Thursday and will begin civilian life in a bail hostel in the north of England, costing taxpayers around £120 a night.

Shabir Ahmed, 73, is leaving HMP Leeds on Thursday and will begin civilian life in a bail hostel in the north of England, costing taxpayers around £120 a night.

Shabir Ahmed, 73, known to his victims as "Daddy", will be freed tomorrow

Shabir Ahmed, 73, was convicted of 30 child rapes and jailed in 2012 to serve concurrent sentences of 19 and 22 years.

Shabir Ahmed, 73, was convicted of 30 child rapes and jailed in 2012 to serve concurrent sentences of 19 and 22 years.

Shabir Ahmed, 73, known to his victims as “Daddy”, was jailed in 2012 for multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester

Provisions in Immigration Act prevent Shabir Ahmed, due to be released, being sent to PakistanThe ringleader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang is due to be released from prison this week and cannot be deported from the country, his victims have been told.Shabir Ahmed, 73, known to his victims as “Daddy”, was convicted of multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls in 2012. Continue reading...

Shabir Ahmed (pictured), 73, a key figure in the Rochdale grooming gangs, is set to be released from prison within a matter of days.

Shabir Ahmed (pictured), 73, a key figure in the Rochdale grooming gangs, is set to be released from prison within a matter of days.