(MENAFN) Prison authorities across England and Wales will now be required to confirm that enhanced safety checks have been completed before any inmate is released, starting Monday.

The government implemented the new mandatory procedures following the mistaken release of a migrant from HMP Chelmsford last Friday, who was later re-arrested. Justice Secretary David Lammy is set to outline the scope of an independent inquiry in Parliament on Monday into how asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu was inadvertently freed.

Senior prison officials have expressed concerns that the additional checks will increase workload and further strain an already overstretched system. One prison officer has been suspended while an investigation is ongoing. A senior staffer told reports that the release occurred "down to a series of mistakes probably because staff are overworked and in short supply."

Kebatu was recaptured in north London at 08:30 GMT on Sunday, ending a 48-hour search that followed his erroneous release. He had been sentenced last month for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping while living in an asylum hotel, and was scheduled for deportation.

His initial arrest in July prompted protests outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, where he had been residing after arriving in the UK by small boat. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that an investigation is underway, stating, "We must make sure this doesn't happen again." Lammy added that Kebatu is expected to be deported later this week.

A report from His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service revealed that 262 prisoners were released in error across England and Wales between April 2024 and March 2025, up from 115 the previous year. Commenting on the rising numbers, Lammy, who is also deputy prime minister, said the Labour government "inherited a system that was collapsing [from the Conservatives]."

Health Secretary Wes Streeting called Kebatu's re-arrest a "huge relief," adding, "The justice secretary has ordered an investigation into how on earth it was that a dangerous man who was due for deportation was instead released onto our streets. That work is under way, we will be open and transparent with the public about what went wrong and what we're going to do about it." He also noted, "The Prison Service was under enormous pressure but even against that backdrop it doesn't explain or excuse the release of people on our streets who have no business being there."

Former Conservative Justice Secretary Alex Chalk emphasized the need for an inquiry to "learn lessons," suggesting the incident reflects broader systemic issues. "The entire annual budget of the Ministry of Justice is spent by the Department for Work and Pensions in two weeks. My constant plea is to try to ensure the prison service gets the resources it requires to ensure we are recruiting and retaining people with skills and experience to make sure these problems don't happen," he said.

Marie Goldman, the Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford, insisted that Kebatu "must now be deported" and advocated for a national inquiry. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage remarked that the case demonstrates the UK's "once-trusted institutions," including the police and prisons, are "disintegrating before our eyes."

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