First Channel crossing migrants arrive in UK as returns deal comes into force

Pictures taken on Wednesday afternoon show a UK Border Force boat ferrying migrants, including children, into the Port of Dover.

Migrants carrying their belongings and wearing orange life jackets were then escorted off the boat to be processed before leaving the port.

Soon after, a second Border Force ship also carrying migrants who set off from the French coast this morning was brought in.

Under the pilot scheme that takes effect on Wednesday, adults arriving on a small boat can be detained and returned to France for the first time.

This is in exchange for an approved asylum seeker in France to be brought to the UK under a safe route.

The deal comes as ministers grapple to crack down on smuggling gangs amid a record number of crossings.

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On Wednesday, shadow home secretary Chris Philp posted a video on X from the Channel where he was watching a French warship follow a dinghy making the journey to the UK.

He said on X: “I’m on the Channel today just off Calais to see if the Government’s new deal with France is working. It isn’t.”

Latest Home Office figures show 25,436 people have arrived by small boat so far this year – a record for this point in the year since data began in 2018.

This is up 48% on the same point last year (17,170), and is 70% higher than in 2023 (14,994), according to the PA news agency analysis.

Under current procedure migrants who make the dangerous journey will be screened at Manston processing centre in Kent, where some will be selected to be removed from the country.

UK officials have up to 14 days after their arrival to request their return to France, and French officials must also respond within 14 days, or 28 in exceptional circumstances.

Migrants being returned will be held in an immigration removal centre until being sent to France by plane.

The treaty, which was laid in Parliament on Tuesday, commits for a return to be completed within three months in all cases.

Migrants will be able to appeal against the decision based on exceptional circumstances.

Ministers have rejected criticism that the returns deal leaves open a loophole for human rights laws to be exploited for migrants to avoid deportation.

The agreement contains a clause that says in order for people to be returned to France, the UK must confirm they do not have an “outstanding human rights claim”.

Mr Philp said on Tuesday this section offered “an easy loophole for lawyers”.

Borders minister Dame Angela Eagle said he was wrong, and that the clause was included “precisely to ensure no-one can use ‘clearly unfounded’ human rights claims to avoid being returned”.

Reacting to the criticism on Wednesday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also said: “The deal that we’ve struck will allow people with us to send people back to France who have human rights claims.

“Those claims will be heard in France. So, I know that the Conservative Party has been saying that this is a loophole. It isn’t and we’re really confident about that.”

The Home Office has prepared for judicial review challenges over human rights decisions to be heard in UK courts from France.