Labour Considers Emergency Legislation to Deport Rochdale Grooming Gang Leader Despite Pakistan Not Recognizing Him as Citizen

Labour is considering emergency legislation to fast-track the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, GB News reported. Ahmed, 73 and Pakistan-born, was released from prison last week after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for child sexual offences including rape.

Alex Norris, Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum, told the Commons that all options are on the table for removing Ahmed, whose British citizenship was stripped in 2016.

The Immigration Act 1971 prevents deportation of Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973 and have lived in Britain for at least five years, with similar provisions in the UK Border Act 2007. Norris said removals of foreign national offenders are up 36 per cent under the current government, with nearly 10,000 returned since it took office.

He described the inability to deport Ahmed as unacceptable and confirmed the government would consider Conservative amendments to repeal two sections of the 1971 Act.

Pakistan's government has stated it does not recognise Ahmed as a citizen, citing his reported destruction of his passport. A Pakistan official said the country's database and official records show Ahmed is not a Pakistani national. Britain has disputed Ahmed's claims regarding his citizenship.

Conservative MP Robbie Moore said Norris has the ability to introduce emergency legislation that would likely receive cross-party support. Norris noted that deportations involve multiple factors, including domestic laws, other legal barriers, and returns agreements, and cited 1,300 returns to Pakistan as evidence of progress despite hurdles such as the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and Article 8 of the ECHR.