In a dramatic and troubling sequence of events, an Ethiopian national who had been convicted of sexually assaulting a teenager in the United Kingdom was mistakenly released from a UK prison and subsequently deported to Ethiopia.
The case has raised serious questions about prison oversight, deportation policy, and the handling of foreign offenders.
The Incident and Key Facts
The man identified as Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was originally convicted for assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl after arriving in the UK via a small-boat crossing of the English Channel. Due to a “blunder” in the system, Kebatu was released from prison while his deportation process was still pending. He was later tracked down, arrested in a London park, and then placed on a flight back to Ethiopia.
The UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, confirmed the deportation and stated: “I am pleased to confirm this vile child sex offender has been deported. Our streets are safer because of it.”
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In a final twist, Kebatu reportedly received a payment of £500 (approximately US $660) by immigration officials to encourage him to quiet down and board the deportation flight — a move described by the government as an operational decision aimed at avoiding a canceled deportation and further cost.
The release of a high-risk offender exposes gaps in the UK’s monitoring systems and raises concerns about how many other cases might be mishandled.
At the same time, Kebatu’s case has reignited debate about unauthorized migrant crossings and the integration or management of asylum-seekers with criminal histories.
Over 36,900 people are reported to have crossed the Channel from France to the UK this year, according to government figures cited in the article.
Many of those arrivals are housed in temporary accommodations while their claims and deportation decisions are processed. This case may add pressure on the UK to reform how it handles criminality among migrants and the systems for tracking and repatriating individuals once they serve sentences.
