Robert Jenrick has accused Andy Burnham of breaking his word over the deportation of Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed, counting 132 days since the prime minister said he wanted the convicted child rapist "out of the country". Downing Street said on Tuesday that it had "no update" on the case.

Mr Jenrick, the shadow home secretary, posted on X on Tuesday evening: "132 days ago, trying to get elected, Andy Burnham said he'd deport this vile rape gang leader. And yet he's still here. Burnham must think we're fools." The post passed 1,700 likes within two hours.

Mr Burnham made the pledge on 1 July, shortly before he became prime minister, writing that he would ask the home and foreign secretaries to "review all possible options" and that "nothing is off the table". Asked about the case on Tuesday, his official spokesman said there was "no update on that individual case", adding: "It is one for the Home Office. We are exploring every option in that case."

Why Ahmed cannot be deported under current law

Ahmed, 73, was jailed in 2012 as the head of the Rochdale gang that abused girls as young as 12. He was convicted of 30 child sex offences and given a 22-year sentence. He was released from prison in July after serving 14 years, and was stripped of his British citizenship.

He cannot currently be deported because of a clause in the Immigration Act 1971, which protects Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1973 and have lived here for at least five years. Ahmed arrived from Pakistan in 1967, aged 14. Pakistan has refused to take him back, saying he is "entirely an internal matter of the United Kingdom" and that its records show he renounced his Pakistani citizenship decades ago. Pakistan has previously refused to accept two of Ahmed's co-ringleaders.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has promised to change the law, amending the Immigration and Asylum Bill to give the home secretary power to disapply the 1971 protection for serious criminals, including those convicted of child grooming offences, terrorism, human trafficking and war crimes. That change is still in the Bill, which has not passed, and even if it becomes law, Ahmed's removal would still require Pakistan's agreement to accept him.

Licence conditions and the hostel move

Ahmed is on the sex offenders register for life and is subject to strict licence conditions, including staying at approved accommodation staffed 24 hours a day, wearing a GPS tag, and an exclusion zone covering the borough of Rochdale until June 2034. He cannot return to his former home in Oldham and is banned from contacting his victims or any child or young person.

He was moved from a hostel in Accrington, Lancashire, in July after its address was shared on social media, prompting complaints from local residents and the town's MP, Sarah Smith. The Ministry of Justice confirmed he had been relocated, but his new location has not been disclosed.

Mr Jenrick also used his Commons exchanges on Tuesday to attack the government's handling of the case, while in Antigua for the Commonwealth summit Mr Burnham offered talks on a formal apology for slavery while ruling out cash reparations, a move Mr Jenrick called "performative far-left nonsense".

Frequently asked questions

Who is Shabir Ahmed? Ahmed, 73, was the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang and was jailed in 2012 for 30 child sex offences, including the rape of girls as young as 12.

Why has he not been deported? A clause in the Immigration Act 1971 protects Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973. Ahmed arrived in 1967. Pakistan also says he is not a Pakistani citizen and will not take him back.

What is the government doing? The home secretary has promised to amend the Immigration and Asylum Bill so the 1971 protection can be set aside for serious criminals, but the Bill has not yet passed and deportation would still need Pakistan's agreement.