U.K. Home Minister Shabana Mahmood on Monday announced plans for changes to British law to allow the deporting of a convicted pedophile following his release from prison.
Shabir Ahmed was jailed in 2012 for 22 years for multiple child sexual offenses, including rape, as the ringleader of a gang of predatory men targeting girls in England’s Rochdale. He was released from prison earlier this month under Britain’s early release program.
Following his release, rights activists have started calling for his deportation to Pakistan, a country he left decades earlier, as he was stripped of his British citizenship after the 2012 conviction. However, immigration laws prevent the deportation of Commonwealth nationals who arrived in the U.K. before 1973. Additionally, the Pakistani government has, thus far, refused to accept his deportation, as Ahmed claims he renounced his Pakistani citizenship.
According to Mahmood, the British government is working to amend its Immigration and Asylum Bill to allow the deporting of the “vilest foreign criminals.” Under the proposed legislation, per the home minister, the Home Secretary would have the mandate to “disapply” Section 7 of the Immigration Act, 1971 for serious criminals.
“This provides protections for long-term U.K. residents but, clearly, should not be acting as a bar against removal in cases like that of Shabir Ahmed,” she added.
In her statement, Mahmood admitted that Ahmed could only be removed from the U.K. if Pakistan agreed to accept him back.
However, Mahmood noted this does not guarantee his removal, with Pakistan required to agree to accept him back. She claimed ministers were exploring “all avenues to pursue a deportation.”
Pakistan’s resistance has prompted opposition parties to demand the application of pressure, including but not limited to, cutting foreign aid and visa limits.