Third person deported under ‘one in, one out’ migration deal with France
A third person has been removed from the UK under the "one in, one out" deal with France aimed at stopping small boats crossing the Channel.
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Home Office sources said the man, an Iranian, had been returned to France on Friday.
This followed the removal of an Eritrean man earlier on Friday after he lost a High Court bid to halt his removal, and the deportation of an Indian national on Thursday.
The first flights carrying asylum seekers from France to the UK under the deal are expected to take place next week, the source added.
Although they would not comment on numbers, the source said they were expected to be “at or close to parity”, given the "one in, one out" nature of the deal.
Ministers have praised the returns, with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy saying they provided an "immediate deterrent" to people seeking to cross the Channel.
Read more: 'Hundreds' in, two out: Multiple boats cross the Channel just hours after second migrant deported
The Government intends to increase the number of people being sent back under the pilot deal over the coming months.
Ministers agreed on the pilot scheme with the French government in July as part of efforts to deter the record number of arrivals by small boat crossings so far this year.
More than 31,000 people have arrived in the UK after making the dangerous journey in 2025.
The first detentions of migrants took place last month as the deal came into force, and they have been held at an immigration removal centre pending their removal from the country.
Under the arrangement, the UK will return asylum seekers to France who have crossed the Channel, in exchange for those who apply and are approved to come to Britain.