LONDON — The British government announced Monday that it intends to eliminate a legal loophole that has been standing in the way of deporting a convicted grooming gang leader back to Pakistan.
Shabir Ahmed led a gang based in Rochdale, in northern England, and was sentenced to prison in 2012 after being found guilty of multiple child sexual offenses, including rape. He served 14 years behind bars. His release earlier this month drew sharp criticism from some lawmakers, and at least one of his victims publicly expressed fear for her personal safety following his release.
The so-called “grooming gangs” scandal has roots going back roughly 20 years. It surged back into the national spotlight last year after Elon Musk publicly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his handling of these cases during his time as director of public prosecutions. Starmer pushed back against those criticisms, though he did not mention Musk by name.
After his conviction, Ahmed had his British citizenship revoked. However, a legal provision barred his deportation to Pakistan, the country where he was born. That provision prevents the removal of citizens from certain countries who arrived in the United Kingdom before 1973.
Interior minister Shabana Mahmood described Ahmed as a “vile grooming gang leader” and confirmed that the government’s proposed legal amendment would allow Commonwealth citizens to be deported if they have been convicted of serious offenses.
Mahmood also noted that Ahmed’s actual removal from the country depends on Pakistan agreeing to accept him.
The grooming gangs scandal centered on organized groups of men, the majority of Pakistani heritage, who deliberately targeted vulnerable children — many of whom were already known to social services — by providing them with alcohol and drugs before sexually exploiting them.
The 2012 trial of the Rochdale gang, which resulted in convictions for Ahmed and eight other men, drew widespread media attention and was a turning point in bringing this issue into public awareness across Britain.
