UK Changes Law to Deport Grooming Gang Leader

The British government announced it will close a legal loophole that has prevented the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the convicted ringleader of the Rochdale child sexual exploitation gang.

Ahmed was stripped of his British citizenship following his 2012 conviction, but a 1971 law prohibits the removal of Commonwealth nationals who arrived in Britain before 1973.

The government signaled that Pakistan may face visa restrictions if it refuses to take him back.

Justice Secretary Mahmood outlined the plan as part of a broader push to facilitate the deportation of foreign-born criminals.