Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, is scheduled for release from prison this week, but his victims have been informed that he cannot be deported from the United Kingdom. Ahmed, 73, known to his victims as "Daddy," was convicted in 2012 of multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls as young as 12.
Legal barriers to deportation
Ahmed held dual British-Pakistan citizenship, which was revoked after his conviction. However, documents released online, reportedly sent by the Probation Service to one of his victims, state that he cannot be removed to Pakistan due to provisions in the Immigration Act 1971. Under this act, deportation is barred for individuals who arrived in the UK before 1973 and had resided in the country for at least five years before deportation proceedings began.
Ahmed is expected to be freed from prison on 2 July. He will be released on licence, initially required to live in accommodation with 24-hour staffing, and will be subject to an exclusion zone centered on Rochdale.
Political reactions
In 2022, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, urged the then-Conservative government to use all available powers to deport grooming gang members. Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, told the Daily Telegraph that ministers should consider amending the Immigration Act 1971 if necessary to facilitate Ahmed's removal. "The people of Rochdale want him booted out of the country," Waugh said.
Details of the crimes
Ahmed was one of nine men convicted in the Rochdale grooming gang case. They were found guilty of offences against five girls, some as young as 12. The victims were plied with alcohol and drugs, transported between flats in taxis, and gang-raped in rooms above takeaway shops. It is believed that up to 50 girls may have been victimized by the gang.
Ahmed received a 19-year prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court. During his trial, he called the judge a "racist bastard" and later appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming unfair conviction. Judge Gerald Clifton noted that the victims were treated "as though they were worthless and beyond any respect" because they were not of the same community or religion.
Systemic failures
Greater Manchester Police initially stated there was no "racial or cultural" element to the gang's offending. However, a subsequent report identified "serious multiple failures" by police and local authorities, who failed to act despite numerous concerns raised.
Two other gang members, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, were stripped of their British citizenship in 2022. The Home Office has not confirmed whether either has been deported.
Home Office statement
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Ahmed's horrific crimes were at the heart of the grooming gangs scandal that represents one of the darkest moments in our country's history. On his release he will be on the sex offender register for life, ordered to stay away from his victims and banned from contacting any child or young person. As well as facing strict curfews and restriction zones, his every movement will be tracked, forced to wear an electronic tag. Should he breach his conditions, he will be immediately locked up."
