The Home Office will return migrants to France for the first time this week under the terms of a new deal, Sky News understands.
The agreement, which was signed in July, saw migrants first detained on 6 August, and they will now be flown back to the continent.
The ‘one in, one out’ deal means the UK can send people back to France if they have entered the country illegally. In exchange, the UK will allow asylum seekers to enter through a safe and legal route – as long as they have not previously tried to enter illegally.
It is a pilot scheme for now, which will be in place until June 2026.
Read more: How UK-France migrant returns deal works
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The scheme comes amid growing public anger over immigration, with the issue recently becoming voters’ top concern for the first time since Brexit.
On Saturday, up to 150,000 people marched in London, gathering around Westminster in a protest dubbed ‘Unite the Kingdom’, and organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. There were a number of clashes with police, leading to 25 arrests and 26 police officers being injured.
Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said the “horrendous incidents” of violence were “completely abhorrent”, and said she was glad to hear those involved will feel the force of the law.
The scheme comes amid growing public anger over immigration
But speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, she warned that the protest shows that…
