A 24-year-old Algerian migrant was mistakenly released from His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Wandsworth in south London on October 29, marking the second such incident involving a foreign national in recent weeks. The error has intensified scrutiny of Britain’s prison system and its ability to manage deportation cases.
The prisoner, who was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal, was reportedly also linked to sexual offenses. Authorities confirmed the release occurred on Wednesday, October 29, but have not disclosed his identity. A Metropolitan Police statement said: “Officers are carrying out urgent enquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody.”
This follows the earlier wrongful release of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman, from HMP Chelmsford in Essex. Kebatu’s case sparked public outrage after it emerged he was paid over £500 to be deported, a decision ministers defended as the “least costly option.”
HMP Wandsworth has faced repeated criticism for security lapses. In 2023, terror suspect Daniel Khalife escaped by hiding under a food delivery truck, and a former prison officer was jailed for inappropriate conduct with an inmate. The latest incident has reignited questions about the effectiveness of new measures introduced by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy to prevent administrative errors.
The release has also fueled concerns over the handling of foreign national offenders, particularly as migrant populations in taxpayer-funded hotels have been linked to rising crime rates. Over the past three years, more than 300 asylum seekers have been charged with serious offenses, including rape and attacks on emergency workers. Similar issues have surfaced in Ireland, where violent protests erupted after a migrant was accused of raping a ten-year-old girl at a hotel.
