UK and France ‘one in, one out’ migrant return scheme set to start today

'Protecting the UK border is our top priority'

The asylum seekers who arrived in the UK on small boats last month have since been issued with formal removal directions, informing them of their deportation back to France within five days.

The first two weeks of August saw some 100 migrants detained as their names and details were communicated to the French government for approval.

Around the same number of asylum seekers who have applied to come to the UK from France, predominantly based on family connections, will be transferred to Britain at the same time under the agreement signed in July by French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the Telegraph.

Some of the detained migrants are represented by lawyers, some of whom successfully blocked the former Tory government's first Rwanda deportation flight, and are expected to mount some legal challenges.

However, it is believed that a comprehensive judicial review, which challenges the entire policy, is unlikely.

Even though the initial numbers returned in the pilot scheme are rather small, both Sir Keir and Shabana Mahmood, the new Home Secretary, want to scale the number up to show migrants seeking to make the risky Channel crossing that it is not worthwhile.

Over 31,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year, which is a 40% increase compared to last year and the highest number since the first arrivals back in 2018.

More than 50,000 migrants have made their way to British soil since Labour's been in power.

It was only last week that four migrants, including two children, died attempting to cross the Channel.

The first deportation flights are believed to be scheduled for today (September 15), Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday on Air France, according to government sources, per the Telegraph.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Under the new UK-France treaty, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France. We expect the first returns to take place imminently.

"Protecting the UK border is our top priority. We will do whatever it takes to restore order to secure our borders."