UK mayor pledges to seek deportation of released Rochdale grooming gang ringleader
Mayor Andy Burnham said he will ask the home and foreign secretaries to explore all options for deporting Shabir Ahmed, whose release is imminent, while the Home Office said it is reviewing possibilities under current law.
Mayor Andy Burnham announced he will request that the home and foreign secretaries examine every possible avenue to deport Shabir Ahmed, the identified ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, whose release from prison is scheduled for this week. Ahmed was convicted in 2012 of multiple rapes and sexual offences against girls and sentenced to 19 years in jail.
Burnham wrote on X that he wants the offender removed from the country and will ask officials to consider “nothing is off the table.”
"Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first. I will ask the home and foreign secretaries to review all possible options - and they should consider nothing is off the table," Burnham said.
A Home Office spokesperson responded that the department is committed to deporting foreign national offenders where possible, but that removal requires the consent of the receiving country, which has not always been achievable. The spokesperson added that officials are working across government to explore options in this case.
"We are committed to doing everything possible to deport FNOs and are clear they should have no place in this country," the spokesperson said.
Legal documents obtained online indicate that Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan under the Immigration Act 1971, which bars removal of individuals who arrived before 1973 and have lived in the UK for at least five years. The Home Office previously described Ahmed's crimes as “appalling” and said he will be subject to strict licence conditions after release.
Victim support groups, including the Maggie Oliver Foundation, have expressed concerns about Ahmed’s potential contact with communities in Rochdale, Oldham and Middleton. One victim, identified only as “Ruby,” said the prospect of his release makes her feel unsafe.
In 2022, while serving as mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham called on the Conservative government to use all available powers to deport grooming gang members. Officials noted that changing the law retrospectively would be difficult, but they continue to monitor Ahmed’s case to protect victims and public safety.
