Epping migrant intercourse offender to be deported ‘this week’ – Lammy

HM Prison Service has instructed governors in England and Wales to implement further checks earlier than inmates are launched by Monday.

A jail officer has been suspended pending investigation however a senior jail staffer instructed BBC News the discharge was “down to a series of mistakes probably because staff are overworked and in short supply”.

They continued: “It’s not just one prison office who’s to blame. That would be unfair.”

A report from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service mentioned 262 prisoners in England and Wales had been launched in error between April 2024 and March 2025, up from 115 within the earlier 12 months.

Asked why figures for wrongful releases had been rising, Lammy, who can also be deputy prime minister, mentioned the Labour authorities “inherited a system that was collapsing [from the Conservatives]”.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting instructed the BBC the arrest was a “huge relief” and mentioned Kebatu will “now be deported”.

He continued: “The justice secretary has ordered an investigation into how on earth it was that a dangerous man who was due for deportation was instead released onto our streets.

“That work is underneath means, we can be open and clear with the general public about what went unsuitable and what we’ll do about it.”

He had earlier said the Prison Service was under enormous pressure “however even in opposition to that backdrop it does not clarify or excuse the discharge of individuals on our streets who don’t have any enterprise being there”.

Former Conservative Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said an inquiry was necessary in order “to be taught classes”, and suggested the incident was symptomatic of wider problems with the prison system.

He told BBC Breakfast: “The complete annual price range of the Ministry of Justice is spent by the Department for Work and Pensions in two weeks.

“My constant plea is to try to ensure the prison service gets the resources it requires to ensure we are recruiting and retaining people with skills and experience to make sure these problems don’t happen.”

The Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford, Marie Goldman, mentioned Kebatu “must now be deported” and in addition pushed for a nationwide inquiry.

Earlier, Reform UK chief Nigel Farage mentioned the incident confirmed that the UK’s “once-trusted institutions”, together with the police and prisons, had been “disintegrating before our eyes”.