Deportation flight to Egypt cancelled after man swallows vape battery

A Home Office flight deporting an Egyptian foreign national offender was cancelled after the man swallowed a lithium vape battery before boarding the plane.

The man, who had a history of being disruptive during removal attempts, consumed the battery after being given a vape while held in segregated detention before the flight on Thursday, The Guardian first reported.

He was taken to hospital where he was treated and returned to detention.

On Monday, the Home Office toldThe Independent it was supporting an investigation launched by contractor Mitie, which manages overseas deportations, over the incident.

It is understood that the man was to be flown on a charter plane from the UK to Albania, before being taken on another flight to Egypt. While the journey to Egypt was cancelled, the flight to Albania did go ahead as part of a Home Office deportation operation.

Such flights to the Balkan country are common, with Albanian nationals accounting for more than a quarter of enforced returns from the UK last year.

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It is not known what the cost of the cancelled journey from Albania to Egypt was, or when the man will be booked on a new flight, with the Home Office reluctant to provide further details on deportation operations.

However, a spokesperson said: “Disruptive behaviour will not succeed, and we will be continuing with deportation action as soon as it is possible to do so.”

A spokesperson for Mitie told The Independent: “This incident is currently being investigated. 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.”

This wasn’t the first time authorities have faced problems attempting deportations from the UK.

Last year, it emerged that Hadush Kebatu, a migrant sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison, was given a £500 payment after he threatened to disrupt his deportation flight to Ethiopia.

The government said the alternative was a “slower and more expensive process” – but the Conservatives called the decision to pay him an “absolute disgrace”.

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Despite recent issues, the Home Office said this month that deportations of foreign national offenders, including murderers and rapists, were up 32 per cent, with more than 8,700 deported since government came into power.

However, last year, The Independent also revealed how the UK had paid migrants £53m to leave the country over the past four years, with a voluntary scheme offering them up to £3,000 as an incentive to return to their home country.

A total of 6,799 people took up the assisted return in 2024, an increase from 2,179 in 2022, according to Home Office data.