No Stone Unturned: Government's Deportation Drive Targets Rochdale Grooming Gang Boss

The UK government is engaged in a determined legal and diplomatic effort to deport Shabir Ahmed, a convicted leader of the Rochdale grooming gang, following his release from prison on Thursday, July 2. Ahmed, who was known to his victims as 'Daddy', was sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2012 for offenses against five girls and has served 14 years of his sentence. Although he has been stripped of his British citizenship, leaving him with only Pakistani nationality, his deportation is complicated by a 1971 law. This legislation prevents the removal of a specific group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago, creating a significant legal hurdle.

Health Secretary James Murray emphasized the government's strong resolve on Sky News, stating, "I want this man out of the country, I think we all do." He affirmed that the government would "leave no stone unturned" in its battle to secure Ahmed's deportation. Murray indicated that the Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary are working to determine the precise method for achieving this, underscoring the collective desire within the government to remove him from the UK without stepping on their toes regarding specific mechanisms.

The discussion around potential measures to pressure Pakistan into accepting Ahmed has included controversial suggestions. Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, advocated for pausing aid and visas to Pakistan. Jenrick argued that the UK should employ "all the levers of the British state" to remove such individuals, pointing out that the UK provides approximately £80 million in aid annually to Pakistan and issues tens of thousands of visas to Pakistani nationals. He suggested that withholding these could exert "maximum pressure" on the Pakistani government. However, James Murray refrained from speculating on specific mechanisms, reiterating that it is the responsibility of the Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary to identify the best way to achieve the desired outcome.

Upon his release, Ahmed is subject to stringent conditions. He is required to live initially at a 24-hour staffed bail hostel and wear an electronic GPS tag. Furthermore, he is prohibited from returning to his last known address on Windsor Avenue in Oldham and is subject to an 'exclusion zone' that prevents him from entering specific parts of Rochdale.

The government is facing increasing public and political calls to close the legal loophole that currently allows Ahmed to remain in the UK. A No 10 spokeswoman confirmed that the issue has been raised with Pakistani counterparts in Islamabad. She reiterated the government's commitment to doing "everything possible to deport foreign national offenders," emphasizing that they "should have no place in this country." The spokeswoman acknowledged that, as previous governments have found, such deportations necessarily require the agreement of the receiving country, which has not always been possible. She confirmed that the Prime Minister has specifically asked the Home Secretary to explore all possible options in this "awful case," recognizing its inherent complexity and broader implications beyond this individual incident. The government remains committed to its efforts to remove foreign nationals who commit offenses in the UK.