Second migrant deported to France as more cross the Channel at daybreak
A second migrant’s deportation flight has left the UK for France under the “one in, one out” deal after losing a High Court bid to have his removal temporarily blocked, the Home Office said.
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An Eritrean man was on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am on Friday, the Home Office confirmed.
It comes a day after a migrant from India became the first person to leave on the scheme after he was flown to Paris on an Air France passenger plane from Heathrow.
For the first few days of the scheme this week, the Home Office failed to deport a single person under the policy because of legal challenges.
Those threatened with deportation successfully delayed the removal on the basis of claims they have been victims of modern slavery and trafficking.
The challenges infuriated the home secretary Shabana Mahmood, who ordered an urgent review of Britain’s modern slavery laws.
Read more: Kemi Badenoch tells Labour 'We told you so' after migrant flights blocked
Whilst the deportation this morning was taking place, at least one inflatable dinghy full of young men made its way out to sea from Gravelines beach, north-east Calais, at daybreak.
As the boat came close to shore, people waded through waist-high water towards it and a child was passed aboard before it went out to sea.
In the town itself, at about 5.30am, a group of 40 young men suddenly appeared from a quiet side street carrying an inflatable boat over their heads before launching it into a canal.
Police officers watched on from the bank as the driver of the boat struggled to keep it in a straight line.
Earlier in the night, a group of men formed a human chain to help haul people out of the mud after a failed attempt to launch a boat in the canal.
Donald Trump suggested Sir Keir Starmer should involve the military in tackling the small boats crisis, warning illegal migration could “destroy” countries.
The US president said he had discussed the situation with Sir Keir at the Prime Minister’s country residence Chequers.
He highlighted his own record in securing the borders in the US and suggested the UK faced a similar challenge.
Setting out his own actions in the US, Mr Trump said: “What I saw happening, with millions of people pouring into our country, I couldn’t stand to watch it, and we’ve done a great job.”
He said: “The last three months we had zero – from millions of people a year ago, we had zero people enter our country illegally.”
Speaking alongside Sir Keir, he said: “I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use.
“It destroys countries from within and we’re actually now removing a lot of the people that came into our country.”
Sir Keir pointed to action including the first return under the one in, one out deal with France which took place on Thursday morning, just hours before the Prime Minister’s talks with Mr Trump.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the first return showed people crossing the Channel that “if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you”.
She said she would “continue to challenge any last-minute, vexatious attempts to frustrate a removal in the courts”.
The returns agreement had faced growing scrutiny after reports of flights for removals being cancelled earlier this week.