Wandsworth Unlocks Another Migrant Offender

A second Algerian migrant offender walks free from Wandsworth prison due to administrative error, just weeks after a similar mistake freed a sex attacker from HMP Chelmsford. Officials delayed notifying police for nearly a week, allowing the 24-year-old—convicted of trespass with intent to steal and prior sexual offenses—to vanish into London. This incident exposes the fragility of release protocols in an overburdened system.

The Algerian’s erroneous discharge occurred on October 29, but the Metropolitan Police learned of it only on November 5. Prison authorities provided no explanation for the six-day silence. Such delays compound the risks, as the offender remains at large amid a nationwide manhunt.

This follows the October 24 release of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian migrant convicted of sexual assault, who evaded capture for days before deportation. Justice Secretary David Lammy promised enhanced checks on migrant prisoners in response. Yet during Prime Minister’s Questions on November 6, Lammy sidestepped direct queries from Conservative MP James Cartlidge about additional errors.

Cartlidge pressed for reassurance that no other asylum-seeking offenders had slipped free since Kebatu’s case. Lammy deflected, attributing prison chaos to the Conservative legacy of overcrowding and early release schemes initiated in 2021. He invoked ongoing reviews by Dame Lynne Owens but offered no specifics on the Wandsworth incident.

Downing Street confirmed Prime Minister Keir Starmer learned of the second release only minutes before the police announcement. The spokesman’s assessment—“one mistaken release is one too many”—arrived after Lammy’s evasion in Parliament. Conservatives received word 15 to 20 minutes prior to questions, highlighting communication breakdowns within government.

Prison error rates have more than doubled recently, per official data, amid capacity strains that force releases without full vetting. The UK holds over 88,000 inmates in facilities designed for 80,000, a crisis building since 2010 under both Labour and Conservative administrations. Migrant offenders, numbering in the thousands annually, face particular scrutiny yet recurrent procedural lapses.

Immigration enforcement falters at every stage: from initial detention to deportation. The Algerian’s case ties to broader failures, including 62% rises in foreign national sexual offense convictions since 2020, often linked to unchecked Channel crossings. Weak border controls and prison overload create a pipeline where offenders re-enter communities unchecked.

Political accountability evaporates in these moments. Lammy, a former shadow justice secretary, now leads fixes for problems he once criticized, yet his responses prioritize blame over transparency. This mirrors patterns across governments: promises of reform yield to deflection, with no resignations or structural overhauls following prior scandals like the 2018 Windrush detentions or 2023 early release fiascos.

Ordinary citizens bear the costs. Neighborhoods in south London, already strained by rising crime, now hunt for fugitives who should remain confined. Trust in justice institutions, polling at historic lows below 40%, erodes further when ministers withhold facts during public scrutiny.

The Wandsworth error reveals entrenched dysfunction in Britain’s penal and immigration systems. Cross-party neglect has normalized releases of dangerous individuals, from overcrowding policies to lax reporting. Without enforced accountability, these incidents will multiply, turning prisons into revolving doors for public risk.

This is institutional decay in action: a justice apparatus that safeguards offenders more than citizens, perpetuating a cycle of error and evasion that defines the UK’s broader governance failure.