Four members of Rochdale child sex grooming gang facing removal from UK

PA

Shabir Ahmed and Adil Khan are among the four who are facing deportation

The men had appealed against moves by the Government to strip them of their British citizenship.

But their claims were dismissed on all grounds by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

Foreign-born criminals should not be able to hide behind human rights laws to avoid deportation

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk

The ruling paves the way for the men, all of Pakistani nationality who acquired British citizenship by naturalisation, to be removed from the UK.

Among the group whose claims were thrown out is Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of a group of men who preyed on girls in Rochdale.

PA

Four members of Rochdale child sex grooming gang: Abdul Aziz (bottom left) and Qari Abdul Rauf

He is serving a 22-year jail sentence after being convicted of a string of offences in 2012.

The other three claimants are Adil Khan, Qari Abdul Rauf and Abdul Aziz.

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk called for the men to be deported to Pakistan "as soon as possible".

He said: "We welcome many people coming to the UK, to contribute, but if they break the law then they should lose their right to live here.

"Foreign-born criminals should not be able to hide behind human rights laws to avoid deportation."