UK police arrest migrant mistakenly freed over assaults

UK authorities say they have arrested Hadush Kebatu, an immigrant sex offender whose crimes sparked weeks of protests and who was mistakenly released from prison, in North London after a nearly three-day manhunt and will deport him.

Kebatu was sentenced to 12 months in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman in September and was due to be sent to an immigration detention center for deportation when he was mistakenly released on Friday.

Commander James Conway, who oversaw the operation, said in a statement on Sunday: “This was a painstaking and fast-paced investigation carried out by specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police, supported by Essex Police and British Transport Police.” he said.

“Following information from the public, officers were directed to Finsbury Park and following a search Mr Kebatu was located. He was detained by police but will be handed over to the Prison Service.”

UK Justice Secretary David Lammy said Kebatu was in police custody and would be deported.

“Kebatu has been arrested, he is currently in custody and will be deported,” Lammy said on channel X shortly after his arrest.

“I have already ordered an immediate strengthening of release controls and a full investigation into what went wrong.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We must make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

The 38-year-old Ethiopian’s crimes sparked angry protests over the summer outside the hotel where he lived in Essex, east London; these events helped spark further demonstrations amid growing tensions over immigration in the UK.