A foreign national offender swallowed a vape battery in a desperate bid to halt his deportation from the UK. The incident occurred just hours before he was set to board a chartered private flight.
Details of the Deportation Attempt
The man, whose home country is Egypt, faced removal on Thursday. He entered segregated detention prior to boarding a flight initially bound for Albania. Authorities provided him with a vape device during this time. Reports indicate he then ingested the lithium battery from the vape, leading to his immediate transfer to a hospital.
Medical staff treated him successfully, after which he returned to detention. As a result, the entire deportation flight faced cancellation.
Contractor’s Statement
Mitie, the firm handling overseas deportations for the Home Office, confirmed an ongoing investigation into the matter. “This incident is currently being investigated,” the contractor stated. “At this point, there is no evidence to suggest any wrongdoing or breach of procedure by our colleagues. Our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of those in our care.”
Flight Logistics and UK Policy
The UK government routinely charters private aircraft for deportations. This particular flight operated as a standard route to Albania, with an additional leg added to Egypt specifically for the individual. He would have traveled alone, accompanied only by guards and flight crew.
Related Prior Incident
In a separate case last October, authorities paid £500 to a migrant sex offender mistakenly released from prison. The payment aimed to avoid flight disruption after he threatened to interfere with his deportation.
Policing Minister Sarah Jones defended the decision, noting that forcibly removing him and returning him to custody would cost thousands. “Removing him from the flight and taking him back into custody would have cost thousands of pounds, which is why the choice was made that it was better to get him out of our country,” she stated.
She added: “And that was the choice, galling though that is… I hope people understand that that was the choice they faced, and that was the right thing to do.” Jones acknowledged public frustration: “So it sticks in the throat, right? I get that. It does for me. It does for most people.”
Officials confirmed that Hadush Kebatu was ultimately deported with five escorts and barred from returning to Britain.
