Photos taken in Calais at daybreak show children being carried onto small boats bound for the UK, on the day a second man was returned to France as part of the new ‘one in one out’ deal
A second migrant has been returned to France under the “one in, one out” deal after losing a High Court bid.
The Eritrean man was on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am on Friday, the Home Office confirmed. It comes a day after an Indian national was deported in the early hours of Thursday, a move hailed as an “important step” by Keir Starmer.
The Government says the removals will discourage people from paying smugglers to make the journey to the UK. But chilling photos on Friday morning showed children being lifted onto a small boat off the French coast.
READ MORE: Donald Trump shares what he told Keir Starmer about tackling small boatsREAD MORE: First small boat migrant sent back to France under ‘one in one out’ agreement
A man was seen carrying a young child on his shoulders as he waded into the Channel. The vessel set off at daybreak from Gravelines beach in Calais.
The Government has pledged to break the business model of criminal gangs responsible for the deadly crossings, which claimed at least 78 lives in 2024. During his state visit to the UK Donald Trump suggested deploying the military to stop trafficking.
Quizzed about the President’s remark, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Well, what he suggested was the military are used, but we have the UK Border Force that is now established and has been reinforced and bolstered and have new powers under this Government.
“The Navy actually does have a working relationship with the UK Border Force, and the Navy can be called upon if needed.” But he later added: “What we really need at the moment is our military focused on all of those really key issues around the world, directly relating to our national defence.”
He said the Government is willing to change the law to end the flow of small boats across the Channel. “We are challenging the law where it needs to be done, and we are willing to change the law where it is appropriate,” he said.
On Thursday Mr Starmer said he was pleased the first removal had happened under the agreement with France. The two nations reached a deal in July which will see small boat arrivals detained and removed.
In exchange Britain will accept the same number of people with legitimate claims who have never attempted the crossing.
Mr Starmer said of the first removal: “That is an important step forward… Given the challenges of returning people, it is important that we’re able to prove that can be done.
“It was done, it was done early this morning.” And he continued: “We need to ramp that up at scale.”
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