The Home Secretary is set to amend the 1971 Immigration Act to enable the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the former ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang.Ahmed, 73, was jailed for 22 years in 2012 for child sexual offences and released on licence last week.

His dual British-Pakistani citizenship was revoked post-conviction, but he remains ineligible for deportation due to the 55-year-old Immigration Act, which bars Commonwealth citizens arriving before 1973 from being removed after five years.Ahmed is subject to strict conditions including GPS monitoring, curfews, and exclusion zones.Victims expressed fear over his release, with calls for legal reforms to facilitate his deportation.Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp and MP Paul Waugh have urged swift action, emphasizing the need for victims' safety.The government has stated any breach of Ahmed's licence conditions would result in immediate re-imprisonment.However, no bilateral agreement exists with Pakistan for his return, complicating the process.