Labour MP says he would have covered £500 to deport Epping sex offender Hadush Kebatu himself

WATCH NOW: Labour MP admits he would personally pay to deport migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu in blistering row

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GB NEWS

Georgia Pearce

By Georgia Pearce


Published: 29/10/2025

- 15:20

The Home Office has confirmed that the asylum seeker who was mistakenly released from prison was paid £500 upon deportation

A Labour MP sparked a fiery row on GB News after saying he would have dipped into his own pocket to have migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu deported from Britain.

It was revealed that £500 was handed to the sex offender so he could be sent back to Ethiopia following his mistaken release from prison.


Labour's Oliver Ryan said he "doesn't want the guy on British soil" and would "pay it himself if it meant getting the guy on a plane".

Outraged at the remark, Conservative MP Joe Robertson hit back, declaring: "You can pay a sex offender money if you like, the British state shouldn't be."

Pressed by host Tom Harwood on the payment to former Epping hotel migrant Kebatu, Mr Ryan said it is "standard procedure" in such cases for the deportee to be handed a fee.

Oliver Ryan, Joe Robertson

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has sparked a blistering row after claiming he would 'personally pay' to deport Hadush Kebatu

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GB NEWS

He said: "I think that's standard procedure for these cases, but I have to say this has just been a massive cock-up, everybody was fuming. You could see that the Justice Secretary and the Home Secretary were absolutely livid.

"My first question to the minister was, 'who's been sacked?' So much of this was just wrong from the start. But I'm glad to see now the guy has been deported, he's no longer on British soil, and this is good for Britain."

Grilled by Tom on why Kebatu was given a "sweetheart goodbye" given his conviction for sexual assault, Mr Ryan responded: "There is a standard procedure for some of this, and I believe that's so the case doesn't go to court later."

Expressing his outrage at the payment, Conservative MP Joe Robertson disagreed with the argument that he could have cost "taxpayers thousands" if the case had gone to court.

Hadush Kebatu arrestedMigrant sex attacker Hadush Kebatu was paid £500 to leave the UK | PA

Mr Robertson stated: "£1 paid to a sex offender who shouldn't have been here in the first place is too much.

"You cannot have a standard procedure which pays money to sex offenders who shouldn't be here and who need to be deported. And we hear in this case he wanted to go anyway, so we kept him here in prison and then sent him home with money."

Pressed by host Gloria de Piero on how "he would have deported Kebatu without paying £500", the Tory MP simply hit back: "I would have deported him, and he was going to get deported.

"What does this say to women and girls that we're giving illegal immigrants who are convicted of sex offences?"

Oliver Ryan, Joe Robertson

Mr Robertson was outraged as Mr Ryan admitted he would personally pay if it meant Hadush Kebatu was deported

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GB NEWS

Mr Robertson quizzed the Labour MP on the payment, asking: "What's the price next time for sexually assaulting a woman and girl of 14? £1,000?

"What if he'd negotiated £2,000? Would we just say 'oh, it's only £2,000'. It's madness, it's madness!"

Accusing the Tory MP of "posturing", Mr Ryan responded: "This is too much posturing, this is typical posturing.

"Just get the guy out, get the guy out. If it's £500, you pay him £500, get him out. I don't want him on British soil. Do you want him on British soil for the next six months? I don't."

Interjecting Mr Ryan, Mr Robertson stated: "I don't want to pay sex offenders."

The Labour MP then admitted: "I'll pay it myself. I'll pay it myself if it meant getting the guy on a plane and removing him."

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