UK seeks law change to deport Pakistani rapist and grooming gang leader
The UK government is amending the Immigration Act 1971 to allow for the deportation of serious criminals who were previously protected by legacy laws. This move specifically targets individuals like grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed, though officials acknowledge that diplomatic hurdles with Pakistan remain.
Why it matters
It highlights the tension between historical legal protections for Commonwealth citizens and modern public safety demands regarding serious offenders.
The UK government has started the process of changing a law that has so far prevented the deportation of convicted grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed to Pakistan.Home secretary Shabana Mahmood announced in Parliament on Monday that the government will amend the Immigration Act 1971 to remove legal protection for serious criminals such as Ahmed.Ahmed, who was jailed in 2012 for multiple rape and sexual offences against young girls, was recently released after serving his prison sentence. His case sparked widespread criticism after it emerged that he could not be deported because of a 1971 law that protects some Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1973.Ahmed was the leader of a gang of nine men who groomed and sexually abused teenage girls.
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