Rochdale Council Calls for Grooming Gang Leader to Be Deported
Pakistan says Shabir Ahmed’s removal is a UK matter as the Home Office says deportation depends on Islamabad accepting him.
- The United Kingdom is pushing to deport Shabir Ahmed, the convicted ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, but Pakistan is resisting the move. Ahmed was released on licence this month after serving a 22-year sentence.
- Immigration Act protections currently prevent deportation for Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973 and lived in the UK for five years. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood argues the law should not shield serious offenders like Ahmed.
- After leaving prison, Ahmed was placed in 24-hour staffed accommodation with a GPS electronic monitoring tag. Some of his victims said they were "frightened" and felt "unsafe" following his release into the community.
- Spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan has "no connection whatsoever" with the matter, maintaining the case is a British responsibility. The UK government is weighing visa restrictions against Pakistan to pressure officials into accepting the deportation.
- Political pressure intensifies as leaders like Andy Burnham demand Ahmed's removal from Britain. Victims' minister Catherine Atkinson noted visa restrictions previously persuaded Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to cooperate on deportations.
24 Articles
24 Articles
lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
Rochdale Council calls for grooming gang leader to be deported
Rochdale town hall unanimously called for the deportation of grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed.
Pakistan blames BRITAIN for turning Rochdale grooming gang ringleader to life of crime
Pakistan has blamed Britain for turning the Rochdale grooming gang ringleader to a life of crime. Tahir Andrabi, Pakistan's foreign office spokesman, pointed the finger at the UK for Shabir Ahmed's crimes because he "grew up, was raised, groomed and, unfortunately, spoiled" in Britain. He said the onus was "exclusively" on Britain, declaring publicly for the first time that Pakistan would not be taking back the 73-year-old paedophile, despite hi…
Pakistan is refusing to accept Shabir Ahmed, who led a gang that sexually abused young girls in northern England for a long time. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2012 and was released on parole earlier this month. He was originally supposed to be deported after leaving prison, but that is not possible without Pakistani consent.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
