ROCHDALE — Shabir Ahmed, 73, a convicted member of the Rochdale grooming gang, is scheduled for release from prison on licence on July 2. Ahmed, who held dual British-Pakistan citizenship, was stripped of his British citizenship after his conviction.

Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan due to provisions within the Immigration Act 1971. He arrived in the United Kingdom before 1973 and had resided in the country for at least five years before his deportation was considered, which prevents his removal under the Act, according to documents from the Probation Service.

Ahmed was convicted in 2012 of multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls, some as young as 12, as part of the Rochdale grooming gang case. He was one of nine men convicted in connection with offences against five girls. At Liverpool Crown Court, he was sentenced to 19 years in jail. During his trial, Ahmed called the judge a "racist bastard".

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." The spokesperson added: "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." The spokesperson also said: "As well as facing strict curfews and restriction zones, his every movement will be tracked, forced to wear an electronic tag." Ahmed must initially live in accommodation with 24-hour staffing and is subject to an exclusion zone centred on Rochdale.

In 2022, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, called for the government to deport grooming gang members. Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, suggested that ministers should examine amending the Immigration Act if required to facilitate Ahmed's removal. Ahmed previously took his case to the European Court of Human Rights, alleging an unfair conviction.