In a move that has captured the attention of both supporters and critics of the United Kingdom's migration policies, the government has carried out its first deportation under the much-debated "one in, one out" deal with France. On Thursday morning, September 18, 2025, an Indian national who arrived in the UK by small boat in August was flown from Heathrow Airport to Paris, marking the inaugural implementation of the bilateral returns agreement. According to BBC News, the man was removed on an Air France flight, and French officials are expecting to receive more migrants under the scheme in the days ahead.
The UK-France returns pilot, agreed in July and launched in August, is set to run until June 2026. Its design is simple but controversial: for each migrant returned to France after crossing the Channel illegally, the UK will accept a migrant from France who has a valid asylum claim. The government hopes this reciprocal arrangement will deter migrants from making dangerous Channel crossings, a problem that has seen record numbers in recent years. As Sky News reported, the number of migrants arriving in the UK via small boats has already topped 30,000 this year—the earliest this milestone has been reached since records began in 2018.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was quick to characterize the deportation as a milestone. "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," Mahmood stated, according to The Telegraph and BBC News. She also emphasized the government's ongoing commitment to "fight vexatious, last-minute claims" intended to frustrate removals, following a series of legal challenges that have complicated the rollout of the scheme.
Indeed, the initial days of the returns program have not been without obstacles. The Home Office faced three days of failed attempts to remove migrants under the deal, and legal interventions have already made headlines. Earlier this week, the High Court granted a last-minute injunction to a 25-year-old Eritrean man, temporarily halting his removal on the grounds that he might be a victim of modern slavery. Another Eritrean migrant's deportation was also challenged, though the High Court ultimately allowed it to proceed, as BBC News detailed. The Eritrean man in question had fled forced conscription in 2019, traveling through Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Libya before reaching Europe and eventually arriving in Dunkirk, France, and then the UK.
Mahmood expressed frustration at these legal hurdles, saying, "Last-minute attempts to frustrate a removal are intolerable," and promising to contest them at every step. The Home Office has since changed its statutory guidance on modern slavery claims, limiting the ability of those being deported to France to appeal negative decisions. Now, migrants have to pursue costly judicial reviews from abroad if they wish to challenge their removal, a shift that has drawn sharp criticism from advocates and independent officials.
Eleanor Lyons, the UK's independent anti-slavery commissioner, voiced her concerns on BBC Radio 4, warning that Mahmood's rhetoric could endanger vulnerable people. "Suggesting the system is being abused creates a tool for traffickers to use with those victims that they are exploiting," Lyons said. She argued that dismissing late disclosures of abuse as "vexatious" fails to recognize the trauma and fear that often silence victims, who may only come forward once they feel safe and have had proper legal advice. Kolbassia Haoussou of Freedom from Torture echoed these sentiments, stating, "As a survivor of torture, I know just how harmful it is to dismiss late asylum disclosures as 'vexatious.' Trauma, fear and a hostile system silence people, not dishonesty."
Legal and humanitarian organizations have also raised alarms about the pace and manner of the returns. Detention Action, a charity supporting 28 people currently detained under the UK-France deal, reported that several removals scheduled for this week were canceled or deferred after legal challenges. Seven of the 28 detainees have indicators of human trafficking, yet only one has been referred for modern slavery support so far. Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, called for a fair and competent administration of the agreement, stressing, "It is vital that survivors of trafficking and torture, as well as children, are not put on these flights and everyone is given the opportunity to make their case about why they shouldn’t be returned to France."
Despite the legal wrangling, the government is pressing ahead. More deportation flights are planned for the coming week, and the first arrivals through the new legal route from France to the UK are expected imminently. However, the Home Office has not clarified how many migrants will be on each flight, citing ongoing legal uncertainties. According to BBC News, approximately 100 men are currently detained near Heathrow under the scheme, with around 50 being supported by refugee charities. Yet, less than a fifth of these detainees have received formal notification of their removal dates, and a similar proportion are seeking reconsideration of their cases, often citing experiences of slavery or trafficking.
The political response to the scheme has been polarized. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp challenged the government to provide transparency, asking, "Was this removal voluntary? How many are we taking from France? And how much taxpayers’ money has already been wasted on empty flights?" Meanwhile, the government maintains that the numbers will ramp up as the scheme is tested and refined, with expectations that it will ultimately discourage migrants from paying people smugglers for perilous Channel crossings.
The "one in, one out" agreement is part of a broader strategy to address what has become a top concern for UK voters. A recent Sky News survey found immigration to be the leading issue among the public for the first time since Brexit. Ministers hope that a visible, enforceable system will restore public confidence and reduce incentives for illegal migration. Yet, critics warn that the scheme risks sidelining the rights and safety of vulnerable individuals, and that legal challenges are likely to continue as the program unfolds.
As the UK and France embark on this unprecedented experiment in cross-Channel migration management, all eyes will be on how the scheme balances border security, humanitarian obligations, and the rule of law. The coming weeks—marked by more deportation flights and the arrival of asylum seekers through newly established legal channels—will provide the first real test of whether the "one in, one out" deal can deliver on its ambitious promises.