Convicted Rochdale gang leader released, deportation blocked

Shabir Ahmed, the 73-year-old convicted ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, was released from prison on Thursday, July 2, 2026, after serving 14 years of a 19-year sentence. Despite being stripped of his British citizenship, he cannot be deported to Pakistan due to a long-standing legal provision, a situation that has caused profound distress among his victims and prompted calls for legislative change.

Ahmed was one of nine men convicted in 2012 for a series of child sexual exploitation offences in Rochdale between 2008 and 2010. The court heard that vulnerable girls, some as young as 12, were plied with alcohol and drugs and sexually abused. Ahmed was found guilty on 30 charges, including assault, sexual assault, and trafficking. During his trial, it was revealed he had abused one victim for more than a decade.

The legal barrier to his removal stems from the Immigration Act 1971, which prevents the deportation of Commonwealth citizens who were ordinarily resident in the UK on or before January 1, 1973. Ahmed, a Pakistani national, arrived in Britain before that date. Officials have stated that diplomatic efforts to persuade Pakistan to accept him, following his...