Indian Migrant becomes 1st Deportation under ‘One In, One Out’ Deal

An Indian national is the first Channel migrant to be deported to France under Sir Keir Starmer’s “one in, one out” deal.

The migrant was flown from Heathrow at 6:15 am on September 18 on an Air France passenger plane to Paris, despite legal threats.

He is the first of up to 100 migrants detained last month by Border Force who will be sent back to France.

A second migrant, from Eritrea, has since been deported. That comes after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defeated a High Court challenge from his lawyers seeking to delay removal.

Mr Justice Sheldon ruled there was a “significant public interest” in the deportation under the one in, one out scheme. The plan is intended to deter further Channel crossings.

The Home Secretary has already closed a loophole allowing migrants to lodge appeals on the basis of modern slavery claims in the UK. Appeals can now only be made through a judicial review after deportation to France.

Ms Mahmood has ordered a full review of Britain’s modern slavery laws. She said the move was to stop “vexatious last-minute” appeals.

The review follows three consecutive days when no migrants were deported under the deal due to legal challenges. Most challenges were based on claims of slavery and trafficking.

The Telegraph reported that a deportation flight left without its intended passenger after fresh legal appeals.

French officials requested the Indian migrant so they could offer voluntary return to his homeland. Under a French scheme, migrants receive paid airfare and €2,500 (£2,168).

If he refuses, he is expected to face expulsion from France under a reciprocal returns agreement with India.

French officials also confirmed a reciprocal flight carrying legitimate asylum seekers from France to the UK is scheduled for September 20.

The Home Office has been accepting online applications from migrants in France who want to move to Britain. Applicants must not have “previously been removed from the United Kingdom” or pose a “national security or public order risk”.

The number of migrants accepted into Britain will match the number deported to France. They are also expected to travel on scheduled passenger flights.

Sir Keir and Ms Mahmood welcomed the reciprocal deal as a milestone in UK–French cooperation on migration.

At a press conference with Donald Trump, Sir Keir said it was “an important step forward.”

He said: “Obviously, there’s no silver bullet here; there’s a range of things that need to be done. But given the challenges of returning people, it’s important to prove it can be done.

“Now we need to ramp it up to scale, which was always envisaged under the scheme. But it’s very important we’ve been able to offer proof of concept if you like and we will continue in that way.”

Ms Mahmood added: “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.”

“I will continue to challenge any last-minute, vexatious attempts to frustrate a removal in the courts.

“The UK will always play its part in helping those genuinely fleeing persecution, but this must be done through safe, legal, and managed routes – not dangerous crossings.”

More than 31,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far in 2025. That figure is the highest by this point in the year since crossings began in 2018.

The breakthrough follows Ms Mahmood’s decision to order an urgent review of slavery laws. She blamed “vexatious last-minute claims” for blocking deportations earlier this week.

She is reported to be “furious” with a High Court ruling that delayed the deportation of a 25-year-old Eritrean migrant for at least 14 days. The man’s lawyers argued he was trafficked during his journey through Sudan and Libya.

The deportation, scheduled for 9 am on September 17, was halted just hours before the flight.

The Home Office is now appealing the decision in an attempt to overturn the delay.