Hadush Kebatu was deported to Ethiopia with a £500 payment after he threatened to disrupt the removal process. The sex offender, mistakenly released from prison, was flown back to his home country without the right to return to the UK. The payment was reportedly a decision made by the removal team for operational reasons, not involving ministers.
It is said that detaining Kebatu further and organizing a new flight would have been a slower and more costly alternative, potentially leading to legal challenges. The cancellation of Kebatu’s flight could have incurred significant expenses running into thousands of pounds. The 38-year-old had received a 12-month jail sentence for assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that all efforts were made to deport Kebatu, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safety of the public. Despite sparking a manhunt across the southeast after absconding to London, Kebatu was eventually apprehended in the Finsbury Park area.
Following his arrest, Kebatu was escorted by plain-clothed officers to a police van. He had entered the UK by crossing the Channel in a small boat and was not provided with a discharge grant for living expenses upon his release from prison. Reports suggest that he returned to HMP Chelmsford multiple times, only to be refused entry by prison staff.
An investigation is underway, with a prison officer suspended from prisoner discharge duties.