Wednesday, October 29, 2025

In yet more bad news for the Home Office, it emerged today that a migrant sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison in a major blunder was paid £500 to leave the UK.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she shared the public's anger over Hadush Kebatu's bungled release and had "pulled every lever" to remove him from British soil – but revelations about the cash payment are likely to spark further outrage.

Kebatu, who was forcibly sent back to Ethiopia on Tuesday night with a team of five escorts on the flight, was given a £500 payment after threatening to disrupt his deportation.

While the Home Office had hoped his deportation would draw a line under the story – which has been causing a major headache for the government since his mistaken release last week – the latest revelations have been immediately seized upon by critics, with the Tories labelling the decision an "absolute disgrace".

What happened in Labour Party history on this day in 2020? 

Answer at the bottom of today's email 

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Daily briefing

Deported migrant sex offender was paid £500 to drop asylum threat

Hadush Kebatu was given the money after threatening to disrupt his deportation to Ethiopia

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MOST COMMENTED

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

It's an absolute disgrace and it goes to the heart of how much this government is messing up our immigration system.

Kemi Badenoch's spokesperson on the decision to give Hadush Kebatu £500 to leave the UK

Quiz answer: On 29 October 2020, Jeremy Corbyn was suspended from the Labour Party

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