Rochdale councillors have called on the Government to press ahead with changes to the law so a convicted grooming gang leader can be deported following his recent release from prison.
Council backs victims and pushes for legal change
At a meeting in Rochdale Town Hall, councillors from across the chamber supported a motion demanding an end to what they described as a "loophole" in the Immigration Act 1971. The law currently prevents the removal of certain Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago, a provision councillors say has blocked attempts to deport Shabir Ahmed, now aged 73.
The council leader, who tabled the motion, also reiterated the authority’s support for victims of the grooming gang and called for further action to address the long-term harm caused by child sexual exploitation.
“For those survivors of grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation (CSE), every time this comes back into the media it tears a scab off the wound of those victims,”
The motion highlighted the need for legislative clarity to enable the removal of offenders where appropriate. Councillors from Reform, Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all endorsed the call for deportation of Ahmed. The Workers Party representative broadened the position, saying that any foreign national committing serious crimes should face deportation regardless of ethnicity.
Case details and current status
Ahmed was a ringleader in a grooming network that abused girls at takeaways between 2007, receiving a 22-year sentence in 2012. He served 14 years before being released earlier this month. He has been stripped of British citizenship and is left with only Pakistani nationality. According to councillors and local reporting, he is currently subject to restrictions preventing him from returning to his previous Oldham address and is banned from parts of Rochdale.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Shabir Ahmed |
| Age | 73 |
| Original sentence | 22 years (2012) |
| Time served | 14 years |
| Citizenship | Stripped of British citizenship; holds Pakistani nationality |
Councillors said the Government had already signalled plans to amend the law to facilitate deportation, but noted Pakistan was resisting any move to accept his return. The council motion was explicit in its solidarity with survivors of grooming, and called on ministers to close the legislative gap that has prevented removal in such cases.
Local and national implications
Councillors argued the issue is both a local safeguarding concern and a matter of national immigration law. Their resolution aimed to keep pressure on ministers to ensure the law reflects public protection priorities while acknowledging the complex diplomatic and legal questions that arise when removing an elderly, long-resident foreign national.
- Council supports survivors of grooming and child sexual exploitation.
- Motion calls for amendment to the Immigration Act 1971 to permit deportation in cases like Ahmed’s.
- Government has indicated moves to change the law, but Pakistan has resisted accepting his return.
The council’s stance will feed into ongoing debates in Westminster about how immigration law interacts with criminal justice and victims’ rights. Local residents and campaigners will be watching for any formal legislative proposals and for information from authorities about how victims will be supported in the aftermath of Ahmed’s release.
Ethan Green
Bury Correspondent, InfoRadar
