After making threats to disrupt his deportation, Hadush Kebatu was sent back to Ethiopia and provided with a £500 payment, according to reports. Kebatu, a sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison instead of being deported, was flown back to his home country on Tuesday night and arrived the following morning, with no option to return to the UK. The payment was reportedly a decision made by the removal team for operational reasons, without ministerial involvement.
The alternative to the payment would have been a lengthier and more costly process of detaining Kebatu further and arranging a new flight, which could have faced legal challenges. Cancelling Kebatu’s flight would have incurred significant expenses. The 38-year-old, who had been released in error from HMP Chelmsford, where he was serving a 12-month sentence for sexual assaults on a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex, has now been successfully deported.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that every effort was made to deport Kebatu, emphasizing the importance of removing such a dangerous individual from British streets. Kebatu, an Ethiopian national, had triggered a large-scale search across the southeast after fleeing to London. He had been staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, at the time of his crimes.
Kebatu was apprehended in the Finsbury Park area on Sunday morning by police officers. He was seen being led away in handcuffs, wearing a black jacket and jeans. Following his unlawful entry into the UK via a small boat on June 29, Kebatu left prison with some personal funds but was not provided with a discharge grant for living expenses.
Reports indicate that Kebatu attempted to return to HMP Chelmsford multiple times, appearing confused, but was denied entry by prison staff and directed to the train station. An investigation is ongoing, and a prison officer has been relieved of duties involving prisoner releases.