• Ethiopian sex offender Hadush Kebatu deported after wrongful release from UK prison.
• Kebatu was convicted for sexually assaulting a teenager and a woman in Essex.
• His release sparked public protests and a manhunt before his deportation.

Britain has deported an Ethiopian asylum seeker, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who was mistakenly released from prison after serving time for sexual offenses. Kebatu, sentenced to 12 months for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex, was found on a flight to Ethiopia on Wednesday after a national outcry triggered by his wrongful release. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed her anger at the incident, stating, “I have pulled every lever to deport Mr. Kebatu and remove him off British soil,” and described him as a “vile child sex offender,” according to Reuters, BBC, and Africanews.

Kebatu was mistakenly released on October 24, prompting a two-day manhunt before police apprehended him in London. His case escalated to protests outside the hotel where he was housed as an asylum seeker, highlighting tensions surrounding immigration in the UK. Following the blunder, Mahmood confirmed the deportation took place with no right to return, aimed at ensuring public safety, according to Reuters and BBC.

As tensions over immigration escalated, Kebatu’s wrongful release was labeled an “operational decision” mistake by government officials, with measures being implemented to prevent such errors in the future. This incident shines a light on the broader issues of unauthorized immigration in Britain, particularly the rising number of individuals crossing the Channel in small boats, which has become a politically significant topic for the government, as reported by Reuters, BBC, and Africanews.