It is the second time British authorities have mistakenly released a convicted immigrant sex offender in less than two weeks
British authorities have launched a manhunt after a migrant inmate was mistakenly released from a London prison in the second such incident within two weeks, according to multiple media reports.
The inmate, identified as 24-year-old Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, is a registered sex offender who was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure and sentenced to an 18-month community order, the BBC reported, citing a statement by the Metropolitan Police.
He reportedly entered the UK legally on a visitor visa in 2019, but overstayed and is now in the early stages of deportation proceedings. According to The Guardian, he was in prison for trespass with intent to steal.
Police were informed of his mistaken release only on Tuesday, nearly a week after it occurred. The prison staff at HMP Wandsworth may have failed to notice the inmate’s absence in his cell, the BBC reported, citing sources.
The incident came shortly after the mistaken release of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu from a prison in Essex. The Ethiopian national had been convicted on two counts of sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl and a woman and sentenced to 12 months in prison in September. Kebatu was detained again after nearly a three-day manhunt and subsequently deported from the UK.
The latest revelation sparked sharp exchanges in Parliament. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy faced repeated questions from Conservative MPs but declined to confirm the error. Minutes later, reports of the release emerged, prompting Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp to accuse Lammy of “hiding the truth” from MPs and the public. Afterwards, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office called the incident “unacceptable” and said it would be investigated.
Mounting anger over immigration has fuelled protests across the UK in recent months. The latest government data show that 220 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats during the week ending October 26, and nearly 600 the week prior.
