Under the proposed amendment, foreign criminals will no longer benefit from these protections where they are guilty of some serious crimes. It would bring the law on deportation in line with the law on the removal of citizenship. But the Home Office said Ahmed's removal depends on Pakistan accepting him. At the moment, it appears Pakistan has no intention of accepting Ahmed, who claims to have renounced his Pakistani citizenship. Ahmed was one of nine men from Rochdale and Oldham found guilty of exploiting girls as young as 13 at two takeaway restaurants.

After leaving prison, Ahmed was sent to 24-hour staffed accommodation and fitted with a GPS electronically monitored tag. While he is in the UK, the government has said he would be returned to prison if he breaches a series of strict licence conditions. Some of his victims said they were "frightened" and felt "unsafe" at his release.