A man who was sent back to France under a ‘one in one out’ returns deal returned to the UK on a small boat, it has emerged
A migrant who was deported to France under the new “one-in, one-out” deal returned to the UK on a small boat, it has emerged.
The man has been detained, and it is understood the Home Office is taking steps to send him back to France again. The unidentified asylum seeker said he had come back because he did not feel safe in Paris.
He told The Guardian: “If I had felt that France was safe for me I would never have returned to the UK.” He said he was taken to a shelter in Paris, adding: “I didn’t dare to go out because I was afraid for my life. The smugglers are very dangerous.
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“They always carry weapons and knives. I fell into the trap of a human trafficking network in the forests of France before I crossed to the UK from France the first time.” He went on to say he had been threatened with a gun and told “I would be killed if I made the slightest protest”.
Under a new agreement reached in July, people who arrive in the UK by small boat can be detained and sent back to France. In exchange the same number of asylum seekers with a legitimate claim are sent back the other way.
The Government says the deal will discourage people handing over thousands of pounds to traffickers. Ministers hope the number of returns can be ramped up.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We will not accept any abuse of our borders, and we will do everything in our power to remove those without the legal right to be here. Individuals who are returned under the pilot and subsequently attempt to re-enter the UK illegally will removed.”
It comes as Keir Starmer meets leaders from the West Balkans in London to try reach agreements on migration and organised crime. An estimated 22,000 people were smuggled by gangs last year along routes through the region.
The number of migrant arrivals in small boats in the UK has topped 36,000 in 2025 so far. This is close to exceeding the 36,816 which was the total number of arrivals in 2024.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “The previous government left our borders in crisis, and we are still living with the consequences. These figures are shameful – the British people deserve better.
“This Government is taking action. We have detained and removed more than 35,000 who were here illegally. Our historic deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.
“But it is clear we must go further and faster – removing more of those here illegally, and stopping migrants from making small boat crossings in the first place. And I have been clear: I will do whatever it takes to restore order to our border.”
