UK Deportation Team Pays Migrant Sex Offender £500 Amid Release Blunder

Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, Essex, was mistakenly released from prison but was quickly re-arrested and deported to Ethiopia. Despite being forcibly deported, Kebatu was paid a £500 discretionary payment by the removal team to avoid a slower and more costly deportation process caused by his threat to disrupt the removal. This payment method, although unusual for forcible deportations, is part of the Facilitated Returns Scheme which sometimes offers payments to foreign nationals agreeing to leave the UK, with amounts up to £2,000 reported for other convicted foreign criminals. The payment decision was made operationally by the removal team, not ministers, aiming to minimize expenses and legal complications for taxpayers. This incident has sparked protests and political criticism, with calls for better prison procedures and an independent inquiry into the release blunder, alongside criticism of the government's handling of immigration and deportation policies. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed regret over the mistake and emphasized efforts to swiftly remove Kebatu from the UK.