Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned anyone considering trying to arrive in Britain by illegal routes should ‘think twice’ as the Government battles to end small boat crossings
Home Office release footage of first illegal migrants returned
The Home Office has released footage of the first group removals of small boat migrants under a deal with France.
Two group flights have returned 19 people to France in the past week, with the second landing in France earlier today before continuing to Eastern Europe.
Footage from the first group flight shows people boarding the aircraft, with their faces blurred out.
It comes after seven people were removed from the UK last month as part of an agreement reached with French President Emmanuel Macron in the summer.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned anyone considering trying to arrive in Britain by small boat to “think twice”.
And she said the contrast couldn’t be clearer with the Tories’ botched Rwanda scheme, which cost the taxpayer £700million and resulted in just four people voluntarily leaving the UK.
It comes as the Government faces intense pressure to tackle the small boats crisis, as Nigel Farage’s Reform party surges in the polls. Ms Mahmood, who took over at the Home Office, is expected to take a hard line stance on securing Britain’s borders.
Ms Mahmood said: “We must put an end to these dangerous crossings which put lives at risk and money in the pockets of criminal gangs.
“The contrast couldn’t be clearer. The last government’s Rwanda scheme took years and cost hundreds of millions of pounds, and failed to forcefully remove a single person. In a matter of weeks, we’ve returned 26 through our historic agreement with France.
“With flights to France now underway and ramping up, we are sending out a clear message: if you come here illegally, you face being detained and removed, so think twice before making that journey.”
Under the UK-France deal, asylum seekers who make the perilous Channel crossing will be sent back to France, while the same number of people with legitimate claims will be allowed into Britain.
Further flights to France under this pilot scheme are scheduled to take place in the coming days and weeks.
Nine people came to the UK from France this week through the newly created legal route, after undergoing security checks. Overall, 18 people have come to the UK and 26 have left, according to Home Office figures.