London: An Indian national has become the first person deported from the United Kingdom to France under the new UK-France returns treaty aimed at stopping illegal small-boat crossings across the English Channel.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the deportation marked “an important first step” in the fight against smuggler gangs. “We have dealt a blow to the smuggler gangs. The removal of small boat migrants to France has begun. If you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you,” she warned. The Home Office added that more removals would follow in the coming days.
The treaty, signed in July and active since August, runs until June 2026. It allows Britain to send back small-boat migrants who pass through “safe countries” before reaching UK shores. In exchange, Britain will accept the same number of legal migrants from France who apply through an online platform.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the deportation as “proof of concept” and stressed the need to scale up removals. He promised to crack down on smuggling gangs and review anti-slavery laws to stop their misuse.
Meanwhile, France confirmed it will send the first legal migrants to the UK on Saturday, though NGOs in France criticised the scheme as unworkable.
