British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered a review into the case of Shabir Ahmed, a convicted member of the infamous Rochdale grooming gang, as political pressure grows to deport him from the United Kingdom.
Ahmed, aged 73, was released from prison after serving 14 years for multiple rape and sexual offences involving underage girls. Convicted in 2012, he was one of nine men found guilty in a case that shocked the UK and led to nationwide outrage over child exploitation.
Known to victims as “Daddy”, Ahmed was sentenced to 19 years in prison by Liverpool Crown Court. Following his release, he has been placed under strict conditions, including living in a monitored bail hostel, wearing an electronic GPS tag, and staying away from specific areas in Rochdale under an exclusion order.
The case has now become a political issue because Ahmed has been stripped of his British citizenship, but cannot currently be deported due to a 1971 immigration law that protects some Commonwealth citizens who arrived in Britain more than 50 years ago.
Downing Street confirmed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has asked Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to explore all possible legal options for his removal. Officials described Ahmed’s crimes as “particularly serious” and stressed that foreign nationals convicted of major crimes should face deportation where legally possible.
The issue has also drawn attention from opposition leaders and MPs, who are pushing for legal reforms to close what they call a loophole.
Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani government official stated that Ahmed is now considered a stateless person, as he gave up his Pakistani nationality decades ago and no longer holds valid Pakistani identity documents. The official added that, from Pakistan’s perspective, Ahmed is considered an “alien.”
The case has reignited debate over immigration law, deportation powers, and public safety in the UK.
