The United Kingdom government is negotiating with Pakistani officials regarding the deportation of Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed following his prison release on July 2, 2026.
The move faces complex legal and diplomatic challenges as Pakistan claims Ahmed is no longer its citizen.
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Ahmed, 73, was released on licence after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for multiple counts of rape and child sexual offenses.
Although stripped of his British passport post-conviction, a loophole in the Immigration Act 1971 initially protected him from deportation as a Commonwealth citizen who arrived before 1973.
British authorities are exploring legislative amendments to resolve the domestic legal barrier while managing an escalating diplomatic impasse with Islamabad.
Representatives from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's administration confirmed that high-level discussions are underway to resolve the matter.
"We have raised this issue with our counterparts in Islamabad and we are committed to doing everything possible to deport foreign national offenders, and we're clear that they should have no place in this country," said a No 10 spokesperson.
Downing Street acknowledged the historical and legal difficulties associated with securing repatriation agreements for foreign offenders.
"As previous governments have found, this necessarily involves the agreement of the receiving country - which has not always been possible - but we are currently working across government to explore all possible options in this case," added the spokesperson.
Cabinet ministers have signaled a unified stance on utilizing necessary administrative channels to enforce the removal.
