From city flat to luxury gadgets, what deported migrant sex offender can get with his £500 Home Office payout

His disappearance sparked a two-day manhunt with Kebatu able to make his way from Chelmsford, Essex, to London and despite multiple sightings, his capture was not prompt.

The Ethiopian was finally arrested in London's Finsbury Park on Sunday morning and forcibly deported two days later with a team of five escorts accompanying him on a Tuesday night flight.

Kebatu arrived in Ethiopia on Wednesday morning.

Kebatu made a futile bid to sign-up to the Government’s Facilitated Returns Scheme, which hands £1,500 to foreign nationals who agree to leave the UK.

Downing Street said his application was rejected because the Government wanted his removal to be prompt.

“Forcible” returns do not usually involve payments, but a discretionary payment can come into play to ensure things go smoothly.

Kebatu was therefore handed £500 in a desperate bid to avoid having to re-book flights, which the Government feared would have sent costs spiralling into several thousands of pounds.

Having been briefly held by officers at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Federal Police spokesman Jaylan Abde said there was "no legal basis for his continued detention".

And, with his renewed freedom in his home country, Kebatu could spend his £500 on a 20-night stay in a lavish one-bedroom flat in the capital, according to an Airbnb listing.

At the time of writing, one Ethiopian Birr equals 0.0049 Pound sterling, making it Africa’s weakest performing currency in the first eight months of 2025.

Should Kebatu wish to stay in the one-bedroom flat, he would swerve the £605 it was previously listed for because the host has offered a discount of £105.

Kebatu could reserve the "entire rental unit" from October 29 until November 18 with the entire money given to him by the Home Office.

Included in the unit is a kitchen, wifi, free parking, a TV, a washing machine, a private patio or balcony, a microwave, bathroom amenities, room darkening blinds, a safe, books and reading material, as well as "resort access".

The Addis Zoo Peacock Park is only a 10-minute drive away.

But, if one was looking to splash the cash in one go, Kebatu could book a night at Sheraton Addis for about £300 to £400 per night for a deluxe room.

It is widely regarded as one of the top luxury hotels in Ethiopia and offers full spa treatment and fine-dining with drinks.

An alternative is two nights at the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, which offers rooms between £220 and £260 per night.

That could be coupled with a session at the Dagi Spa - Moroccan Bath and Professional Massage, which offers full-day luxury spa treatments for between £30 to £70 per session.

Kebatu might choose to opt for a luxury gadget instead of a swanky hotel stay, and according to a leading mobile phone price comparison website, he would be able to afford an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

According to AssuredZone, they are priced at 99,000 ETB, slightly below his 101,000 ETB budget, should he decide to fully cash in on his £500 windfall and convert it all into the Ethiopian currency.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch slammed the decision to hand the money to Kebatu with cross-party condemnation of Labour's decision.

She said the payment was an "outrageous waste of taxpayers' money".

"Hadush Kebatu should have been deported immediately, not released and sent home with pocket money," Mrs Badenoch said.

The Liberal Democrats also said it was "outrageous" and that people would "rightly be angry".

"Public trust was completely trashed after Kebatu's wrongful release and now this," Home Affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said.

"We need to fix our fundamentally broken immigration system."

Reform UK's Head of Policy, Zia Yusuf, described the decision as an "insult", adding: "We have a Government that's failing to keep its people safe, failing to lock up criminals, and wasting endless amounts of taxpayer money while doing so".