Immigration bill amendment will allow removal of Rochdale gang leader

The brief

The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will amend the immigration bill to allow the deportation of the Rochdale grooming gang, the first step in removing Shabir Ahmed from the UK. At present, Ahmed cannot be deported because of a 1971 law applying to Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago. Mahmood intends to change the legal loophole to make it possible to deport those convicted of serious criminality such as terrorism, child sexual exploitation or human trafficking – though Pakistan has made it clear it would be unlikely to accept Ahmed’s return. Ahmed was recently released from prison after spending 22 years in jail for multiple…