‘One In, One Out’ Migrant Returns on Small Boat

A Channel migrant deported to France under Keir Starmer’s ‘one in, one out’ scheme has returned to the UK on a small boat, leading Kemi Badenoch to ask, “Does that mean we now have to take two people from France to return him?” The Telegraph has more.

The man, who wants to claim asylum in the UK, is being held in an immigration detention centre.

He is understood to have been identified as soon as he arrived back in Britain, after having his biometric details taken before his deportation.

His return is an embarrassment for the Home Office, which has hailed the ‘one in, one out’ scheme as a deterrent to Channel crossings.

Under the deal, Britain can deport Channel migrants back to France in return for the same number of legitimate asylum seekers coming from Paris to the UK.

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, said: “Does that mean we now have to take two people from France to return him?

“This Labour Government is in total chaos – no backbone, no plan and too weak to take the tough decisions to secure our borders.”

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said: “This shows Keir Starmer’s one in, one out policy is a total abject failure. Illegals are laughing at us.”

The migrant who returned to the UK is understood to be claiming to be a victim of modern slavery at the hands of smugglers in northern France.

He told the Guardian, which first reported his return: “If I had felt that France was safe for me, I would never have returned to the UK.

“When we were returned to France we were taken to a shelter in Paris. I didn’t dare to go out because I was afraid for my life. The smugglers are very dangerous. 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.

“They took me like a worthless object, forced me to work, abused me and threatened me with a gun, and told me I would be killed if I made the slightest protest.

“Every day and every night I was filled with terror and stress. Every day I live in fear and anxiety, every loud noise, every shadow, every strange face scares me.

“When I reached UK the first time and Home Office asked what had happened to me, I was crying and couldn’t speak about this because of shame.”

Britain has returned 42 Channel migrants to France so far since the scheme was launched at the beginning of August, with 23 asylum seekers coming to Britain in return.

However, more than 11,000 migrants have reached Britain since the scheme began on August 6th.

Some 36,736 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, up 30% on 2024’s total at the same point and just below the record year of 2022, which ended with 45,755 reaching the UK.

Worth reading in full.