- The UK government is amending the Immigration Act 1971 to facilitate the deportation of Rochdale grooming-gang leader Shabir Ahmed.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood proposed removing legal protections for serious criminals who arrived in the United Kingdom before nineteen seventy-three.
- A diplomatic standoff exists as Pakistan refuses to accept Ahmed, claiming he is no longer a citizen of their nation.
The UK government moved Monday to change the Immigration Act 1971 so it can seek the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the convicted Rochdale grooming-gang leader, after his release from prison.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced an amendment to the Immigration and Asylum Bill during its second reading in the House of Commons on July 13, 2026. The measure would give the Home Secretary power to disapply protections for certain serious criminals.
Ahmed, 73, left prison in early July after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence. He was convicted of 30 child rape offences.
Removal is not assured.
The proposed amendment responds directly to Ahmed’s case, Mahmood said. It would apply a threshold linked to the power used in the most serious citizenship-deprivation cases, while leaving the final removal process dependent on other legal and diplomatic steps.
“In response to the widely reported case of the vile grooming gang leader, Shabir Ahmed, our amendment will provide the Home Secretary with a new power to disapply Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971 for serious criminals. This [law] provides protections for long-term UK residents but, clearly, should not be acting as a bar against removal in cases like that of Shabir Ahmed.”
Mahmood made the statement in her opening speech on the bill’s second reading. The government has said it is examining every viable route, including emergency legislation.
A pre-1973 rule has blocked removal
The legal obstacle comes from section 7 protections, which cover some Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before January 1, 1973, and lived there for at least five years before deportation was considered.
Ahmed arrived from Pakistan in 1967, when he was 14. His long residence placed him within the category protected by the provision, even after the government removed his British citizenship in 2016 following his conviction.
He had held dual British-Pakistani citizenship. The citizenship decision did not, by itself, resolve the separate question of whether the UK could remove him under the existing immigration law.
The government’s proposed change would let the Home Secretary set aside the protection for people convicted of serious criminality. The categories described in the research include child sexual exploitation, terrorism and human trafficking.
The amendment remains a proposal.
It does not automatically order Ahmed’s deportation or guarantee that another country will receive him. Officials must still address the practical requirements for removal.
Pakistan’s refusal creates a second obstacle
Pakistan has reportedly refused to accept Ahmed, saying he renounced Pakistani citizenship. That position leaves his removal dependent on both a UK legal change and acceptance by Pakistani authorities.
The dispute has widened beyond Ahmed’s nationality. Reports say Pakistan is seeking the extradition of political dissidents living in the UK as a condition for accepting his return.
The UK is also reportedly examining visa restrictions on Pakistani nationals as possible pressure on Islamabad. The proposal has not produced an announced removal date.
Diplomacy may decide the outcome.
Ahmed is living in 24-hour monitored accommodation, under a GPS electronic tag and an exclusion zone around Rochdale. Those restrictions followed his release on licence on July 2, 2026.
Victims and Rochdale officials criticized the release
The gang targeted girls as young as 12, and estimates put the possible number of victims as high as 50. Victims referred to Ahmed by the alias “Daddy.”
Several expressed outrage and fear after his release. They had previously been led to believe by administrations that he would be deported immediately after completing his custodial sentence.
Sara Rowbotham, the former council worker and whistleblower who helped expose the gang, said the release had damaged public confidence in the criminal justice system.
Paul Waugh, the member of Parliament for Rochdale, called for ministers to remove Ahmed from the country. He said:
“The people of Rochdale want him booted out of the country. if the Citizenship Act needs to be amended to do that, ministers should look at doing just that.”
Andy Burnham, who is reportedly positioned to succeed Keir Starmer, has backed Mahmood’s changes. His team supports action to remove “the vilest foreign criminals.”
Ahmed’s convictions date to 2012, when he was convicted of 30 charges of child rape and sexual exploitation across multiple trials. The sentence totaled 22 years.
The Home Office is pursuing other removals
The department is also pursuing the removal of other gang members, including Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan. They are using Article 8, the European Convention on Human Rights right to family life, to fight deportation.
Their cases involve a different legal route. The proposed amendment concerning Ahmed would address the statutory protection attached to his arrival and residence history, while Article 8 arguments concern family life.
The government therefore faces separate legal questions in each case. A change aimed at section 7 protections would not, on the facts provided, decide every deportation challenge involving other gang members.
The bill still faces the removal test
Mahmood’s amendment would address the UK’s stated legal problem: the existing safeguard can prevent deportation even after a serious criminal conviction. It would not settle Pakistan’s nationality position or compel Pakistani authorities to issue travel documents.
Officials continue to work on removal possibilities. The government has tied the proposed power to the threshold used for the most serious citizenship-deprivation cases, rather than announcing an automatic rule for every foreign-born offender.
The immediate status remains provisional. Ahmed has been released, is being monitored in accommodation, and remains subject to the exclusion zone around Rochdale while ministers pursue the legal and diplomatic options.
The House of Commons began considering the amendment on July 13, 2026. Its practical effect will depend on whether the legislation passes and whether Pakistan accepts Ahmed’s return.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
