UK Deports First Migrant Under New Immigration Treaty : Indian National Sent Back to France

An Indian national was the first to be deported to France under the new immigration treaty between the UK and France. The man had arrived in the UK illegally on a small boat across the English Channel.

Under the so-called "one-in, one-out" agreement recently reached as part of a UK-France repatriation treaty, the unknown individual, who is rumoured to have entered in early August, was transported to Paris on a commercial aeroplane from Heathrow Airport.

It was referred to as an "important first step" by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in the government's effort to curb the surge in unlawful migration that people traffickers are facilitating over the Channel.

“This is an important first step to securing our borders. It sends a message to people crossing in small boats: if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you,” said Mahmood.

“I will continue to challenge any last-minute, vexatious attempts to frustrate a removal in the courts. The UK will always play its part in helping those genuinely fleeing persecution, but this must be done through safe, legal, and managed routes – not dangerous crossings,” she said.

The deported man was an Indian national, according to Home Office sources, and once he is back in France, he should be offered a paid voluntary return to his homeland.  If he did not participate in the voluntary program, he would not be eligible to seek asylum and might be subject to forceful deportation.

The move followed official Home Office data published in August that stated the number of Indian nationals detained as part of the UK's broader drive on illegal immigration had nearly doubled, rising by 108 per cent, in the previous year.  The data shows that 2,715 Indians were recorded as being in detention due to a violation of UK immigration rules.

Under the new pact, which went into effect in August as a pilot program to last until June 2026, the man scheduled for deportation on Thursday is one of the first group of migrants seized by the UK Border Force.

The Home Office stated that the first arrivals from France via the new asylum route under the reciprocal program are anticipated in the UK in the coming days, even though more flights are scheduled to return or deport people in the days ahead.

In an attempt to lessen the strain on hotel accommodations, it stated that the new program allows UK officials to detain and remove individuals who enter the country illegally using small boats, preventing them from accessing the asylum system.

In return, the UK will accept an equal number of migrants through a newly established safe and legal route, subject to what the Home Office termed “rigorous documentation, eligibility, and security checks”.

“The Home Secretary has made clear that the Home Office will robustly defend legal challenges to removal. Today we will appeal to the Court of Appeal to limit the time the person has to provide evidence for reconsideration,” the Home Office said.

It claims over 35,000 individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK have been returned in the past year, with returns of foreign criminals and asylum-related returns rising by 14 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

With PTI inputs.