Grooming Gang Ringleader Set for Release, Protected from Deportation by Immigration Act Loophole

Pakistani grooming gang ringleader, Shabir Ahmed, is set to be released on license from prison on Thursday, 14 years after serving the minimum term of his sentence.

Despite being stripped of British citizenship, the 73-year-old can't be deported due to a loophole in the Immigration Act 1971. The buried clause that shields Ahmed from deportation exempts Pakistani nationals who were ordinarily residents in the UK on or before 1 January 1973.

The case has sparked renewed scrutiny of UK immigration law, with critics expressing frustration over the exemption that applies to one of Britain's most notorious grooming gang offenders.

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh said: 'This depraved paedophile should have been deported to Pakistan years ago. The people of Rochdale want him booted out of the country, and it's simply unacceptable that the government of Pakistan are refusing to take him back. If the Citizenship Act needs to be amended to do that, ministers should look at doing just that.'

What the Ministry of Justice Will Impose

With Ahmed's exemption, the Ministry of Justice and probation services will have to spend thousands of pounds enforcing license conditions, including exclusion zones, curfews and electronic tagging, to manage the risk he poses and to provide the public with peace of mind.

'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,' a Home Office spokesperson stated on record.

The office also reassured Rochdale's citizens that Ahmed's will be closely watched, stating, '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.'

Who is Being Freed

Shabir Ahmed was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court in 2012 of 30 child rape charges, trafficking, and sexual assault against young teenage victims. He was found guilty of grooming and abusing girls through the takeaway restaurants between the late 1990s and 2000s.

One of Ahmed's most harrowing crimes was using a single girl as his 'possession,' reportedly abusing her every week.

'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. The most vulnerable people were abused and exploited at the hands of evil child rapists and must face the full force of the law,' shared by the House Office spokesperson.

What Happens Next

Efforts by the UK Government to negotiate with Pakistan over the removal of convicted members of the Rochdale grooming gang have reportedly been ongoing for more than a year without success.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on ministers to review the Immigration Act 1971 provision that has prevented both Ahmed and other convicted Rochdale grooming gang members from being deported.

For the victims and their families, Ahmed's impending release is a painful reminder of the abuse they endured and the lengthy fight to bring those responsible to justice.