The British government has announced plans to amend a 1971 immigration law that has so far shielded convicted paedophile Shabir Ahmed from deportation following his release from prison. Ahmed, who led a gang of men that sexually exploited girls as young as 13 in Rochdale (an industrial town in northern England), was sentenced in 2012 to 22 years for multiple child sexual offences; he was released earlier this month under an early release programme. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told parliament the amendment to the current Immigration and Asylum Bill would strip legal protections under the 1971 act for serious criminals, though deportation still depends on Pakistan agreeing to accept Ahmed — something Islamabad has so far shown no willingness to do.