British lawmakers are urging the Home Office and Foreign Ministry to deport a man convicted of raping and trafficking dozens of girls, after reports emerged that he would be unexpectedly released from prison.

The man, Shabir Ahmed, was handed a 19-year prison sentence in May 2012 for leading a sexual exploitation ring. Over more than a decade, courts found, he raped or abetted the rape of dozens of girls in Rochdale and Oldham, two towns in northwest England near Manchester. He was sentenced alongside eight other men.

Mr. Ahmed, 73, had been a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan but lost his British citizenship after he was convicted.

The BBC reported on Thursday that he had “left prison.” It was not clear why he was freed after serving 14 years. The Ministry of Justice declined to specify whether he had already been freed but said it had notified victims of Mr. Ahmed’s release.

In a statement, the ministry also said that he would be tracked with an electronic tag, given a curfew and forbidden from entering certain areas or contacting “any child or young person.”

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