Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will outline plans on Monday to amend immigration law to enable the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the freed ringleader of a Rochdale child sexual exploitation gang, despite legal barriers and Pakistan's refusal to accept him.
Ahmed, who was released on licence on July 2 after serving 14 years of a prison sentence for numerous child rape offences, holds only Pakistani nationality after being stripped of British citizenship. However, the Immigration Act 1971 exempts Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973 from removal, blocking his deportation. Pakistan has indicated it will not accept Ahmed under any circumstances and is reportedly demanding the extradition of two political dissidents in exchange.
Victims Minister Catherine Atkinson said the government does not rule out emergency legislation and noted Mahmood has previously used visa penalties to secure deportations from countries including Angola and Namibia.