The UK government has warned that Pakistan could face visa restrictions if it refuses to accept the deportation of convicted grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed, also known as “Daddy.”
The warning comes as the British government moves to change a decades-old law that currently prevents Ahmed’s removal from the UK. Ahmed, who moved to Britain from Pakistan at the age of 13, has lived there for 62 years and was released from prison earlier this month.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday unveiled plans to amend provisions of the Immigration Act 1971 to pave the way for Ahmed’s deportation.
However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said changing the law alone would not be enough, stressing that Pakistan would also need to agree to receive the convicted offender.
“The country of origin must agree to take these vile criminals back, and that’s why we’re working across government to explore every option in this case,” the spokesman said.
Victims’ Minister Catherine Atkinson said the UK government was prepared to use visa restrictions as leverage if necessary, pointing to previous cases where similar measures led to cooperation from other countries.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said the government had previously threatened visa penalties against Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo unless they accepted the return of illegal migrants.
“Four months later, all three were co-operating,” Atkinson said.
The UK has not announced any immediate visa restrictions on Pakistan, but the latest comments indicate that such measures remain under consideration if efforts to deport Ahmed are unsuccessful.
Ahmed was a central figure in the Rochdale child sexual exploitation scandal and was convicted for his role in grooming and abusing vulnerable girls. His potential deportation has become a high-profile issue in the UK, with the government facing pressure to remove foreign-born offenders after they complete their prison sentences.
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