ROCHDALE — Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is planning to change the law to allow for the potential deportation of Shabir Ahmed, who was convicted of child rape offenses. The measure follows Ahmed's release from prison last week after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence.

Mahmood is expected to announce on Monday that officials have identified a method to address a legal loophole within the 1971 Immigration Act. This amendment is intended to facilitate Ahmed's removal from Britain. Pakistan has declined to accept Ahmed, stating he renounced his Pakistani citizenship, a claim the UK disputes.

The 1971 Immigration Act currently exempts individuals from deportation if they arrived in Britain before 1973 and have resided in the UK for at least five years. Ahmed, who is 73 years old, meets these criteria, having come to Britain before 1973 and lived in the UK for more than five years. He has already been stripped of his British citizenship.

Mahmood affirmed that the legal adjustment will not jeopardize the right to remain for other Commonwealth citizens, explicitly mentioning the Windrush generation. Her announcement is scheduled to coincide with the second reading of the immigration and asylum bill. A government source indicated confidence in a domestic solution, noting that the ultimate decision on Ahmed's stay in the UK depends on negotiations between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Pakistan.

Robbie Moore, MP for Keighley and Ilkley, inquired in the Commons about the timing of the forthcoming legislation. Moore asked, “When will the minister be bringing forward this legislation, so that we in this House can vote on it and make sure that this individual that has caused heinous crimes across Rochdale is deported?”

The UK challenges Pakistan's assertion that Ahmed renounced his citizenship decades ago. The UK points to evidence suggesting Ahmed did not complete the necessary process to disavow his birthright. A No 10 spokesperson confirmed that the issue has been raised with officials in Islamabad. Pakistan has also refused to accept two other freed ringleaders of the Rochdale grooming gang, who similarly renounced their Pakistani citizenship and had their British citizenship revoked.

Why It Matters

This legislative change addresses a specific legal barrier preventing the deportation of certain individuals convicted of serious crimes who maintain protected status under older immigration laws. The proposed amendment to the 1971 Immigration Act aims to close a loophole that has allowed individuals like Shabir Ahmed to remain in the UK despite having their British citizenship revoked and serving prison sentences. The situation highlights ongoing diplomatic efforts with Pakistan regarding the repatriation of individuals who have renounced their Pakistani citizenship.