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UK Home Secretary to Outline Deportation Law Changes for Convicted Offender
Shabana Mahmood will address MPs on amending the Immigration Act 1971 to allow removal of Shabir Ahmed. The plans coincide with parliamentary debate on an immigration bill and a security statement after the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
Jul 13, 4:47 AM·1m read1 source
The GuardianAudio version
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The UK home secretary plans to amend immigration law to enable the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, a man convicted of 30 child rape offences whose British nationality has been revoked, The Guardian reported. Shabana Mahmood is scheduled to give MPs details of the changes during an afternoon session in the House of Commons on July 13, 2026.
Mahmood will also open the second reading debate on the immigration and asylum bill that day.
Ahmed, a former British-Pakistani dual national, arrived in the UK before 1973 and recently completed 14 years of a 22-year sentence. An exemption in the Immigration Act 1971 currently blocks his removal. The home secretary is expected to adopt an approach that includes visa penalties for countries that refuse to accept such deportations.
Catherine Atkinson, the victims minister, said on the Today programme that Mahmood has a track record of securing returns in prior cases involving Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A separate Home Office statement on politician security is also due after a man was arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe.
Police have stated there is no evidence the killing was politically motivated.
Keir Starmer is in Paris on the same day co-chairing a meeting of the coalition of the willing group of Ukraine allies with French president Emmanuel Macron.
