Downing Street has rejected claims that the government's returns agreement with France is in disarray, after plans to forcibly remove migrants who arrived in small boats were abandoned for a second consecutive day. The prime minister's spokesperson said 'No' when asked if the so-called 'one in, one out' deal was a 'shambles'.
The denial follows the cancellation of flights on Monday and Tuesday that were due to carry rejected asylum seekers to Paris. Further flights have been booked for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with a government source indicating the first flight is expected to take off this week.
Under the pilot scheme, British officials detain some Channel crossers and send them back to France, in return accepting an asylum seeker in France with family ties to the UK. The deal was announced by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron in July, with the prime minister stating: 'There is no silver bullet here, but with a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent, we can finally turn the tables.'
French interior ministry officials have reportedly warned the deal could be abandoned if it does not function well. A ministry source told AFP: 'We may terminate the agreement if we do not find it satisfactory.' France has indicated it will accept only a small initial group of around 50 deportations.
The Home Office faces challenges related to the vulnerability of many asylum seekers detained for return, including survivors of torture and trafficking. On Monday, two flights were cancelled at the last minute, partly due to French concerns that the UK had not provided adequate notice of individuals' vulnerabilities. Detention Action's acting director Lochlinn Parker criticised the deal, stating: 'The government's deal with France is failing people seeking asylum at every step.'
