The UK has carried out its first deportation under a new returns treaty with France, with home secretary Shabana Mehmood calling it an “important first step” in efforts to curb illegal English Channel crossings. “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,” Mehmood said Thursday. She added that the government would continue to challenge “last-minute, vexatious” attempts in court, and stressed that Britain would continue to provide refuge through “safe, legal and managed routes — not dangerous crossings.”According to UK home office sources, the deportee is an Indian national who crossed into Britain illegally on a small boat in August. He was flown on a commercial flight to Paris under the “one-in, one-out” deal signed with France. Once returned, he will be offered a voluntary repatriation scheme to India; refusal would bar him from applying for asylum and could result in enforced removal.The pilot agreement, which began in August and will run until June 2026, allows the UK to deport migrants who arrive illegally while accepting an equal number from France through a new safe and legal asylum pathway, subject to strict eligibility and security checks. The first arrivals under this reciprocal route are expected in Britain in the coming days. Official data show that 2,715 Indian nationals were in UK immigration detention as of August — more than double last year’s figure, an increase of 108 per cent. The deported man is among the first group of migrants held by UK Border Force since the treaty came into force.According to the home office, more than 35,000 people with no right to remain were removed from the UK in the past year, with returns of foreign criminals up 14 per cent and asylum-related removals up 28 per cent.
