A second individual removed to France under the UK's 'one in, one out' agreement has returned to the UK, the Home Office confirmed. The man, whose age and nationality are undisclosed, was detected via biometrics among nearly 400 people crossing the Channel on Sunday.
The individual was one of 94 migrants deported under the UK-France treaty in the past two months. He was detained immediately upon arrival, and officials say he will be returned to France 'as quickly as possible'. This follows the return of an Iranian man on 18 October, who was among the first to be deported under the deal.
A Home Office spokesperson stated: 'Anyone looking to return to the UK after being removed under the UK-France agreement is wasting their time and money. This individual was detected by biometrics and detained immediately. His case will be expedited, and he will be returned to France as quickly as possible.'
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticised the scheme, saying: 'Since the French returns deal was announced, only a handful of illegal immigrants have been returned to France while around 20,000 have arrived here – 99.5% are being allowed to stay and only 0.5% returned to France. This will clearly have no deterrent effect whatsoever.'
The Home Office has not confirmed the exact number of arrivals on Sunday, but estimates suggest nearly 400 people crossed, following 1,772 who arrived in 25 boats over the previous three days. Under the 'one in, one out' scheme, the UK detains some Channel crossers and sends them back to France, taking one asylum seeker from France with UK family ties for each person removed.
