The first asylum seekers are set to be deported on commercial Air France passenger flights this week under the UK’s controversial “one-in, one-out” returns deal with France, as Channel crossings surpassed 30,000 for the year at the earliest point since records began.
Under the agreement with the French Government, migrants who arrived on small boats last month will be escorted by contracted Home Office security staff on flights from London Heathrow Terminal 4, joining tourists and business travellers in what officials describe as a more “low-key” approach compared to February’s high-profile deportations of 47 Albanian criminals and illegal migrants.
The deportations come as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood faces mounting pressure after Channel crossings reached 30,100 on Saturday, marking the earliest point in any calendar year that the 30,000 threshold has been breached since data collection began in 2018. The figure represents a 37% increase compared to the same period last year and signals the scale of the challenge facing the new Home Secretary, who was appointed on Friday following Angela Rayner’s resignation over a stamp duty scandal.
Low-Key Commercial Flights
The first removals are expected to involve as few as 10 migrants per flight, with at least one security escort per migrant, according to legal observers who spoke to The Telegraph. Messages sent by the Home Office to deportees confirmed their Air France flights would depart from Heathrow’s Terminal 4, with secure vans transporting them from the Harmondsworth immigration removal centre adjacent to the airport.
The formal removal direction notices give migrants five days’ notice of the Home Office’s intention to deport them, allowing time to seek final legal advice before removal can proceed. However, officials are bracing for potential last-minute legal challenges that could delay or prevent the deportations.
Former head of immigration enforcement David Wood told The Telegraph that the Home Office would likely select the most compliant migrants for initial flights to ensure smooth operations. “The main challenge is if the migrants become disruptive on the flight, and when they are held in detention other migrants spread that knowledge,” he said. “The Home Office will want the first flights to go really smoothly so they’ll pick the migrants who are most compliant, the ones least likely to cause trouble.”
Record-Breaking Crossing Numbers
The timing of the deportations coincides with a crisis point for the government’s immigration policy. Some 1,097 migrants crossed the Channel in 17 boats on Saturday alone, pushing the 2025 total past 30,000 — a milestone not reached until 21 September in 2022 and 30 October last year. In 2023, the figure was never reached, with total crossings for the entire year standing at 29,437.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned the crossings as “utterly unacceptable”, stating: “These small boats crossings are utterly unacceptable and the vile people smugglers behind them are wreaking havoc on our borders. Thanks to our deal with France, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France and I expect the first returns to take place imminently.”
The surge in arrivals — up 37% compared to the same period in 2024 — has intensified criticism of Labour’s handling of the crisis, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage capitalising on public discontent over irregular migration and the housing of asylum seekers in hotels.
The ‘One-In, One-Out’ Deal
The pilot scheme, announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron during July’s state visit, operates on a reciprocal basis. For each migrant returned to France, the UK will accept an asylum seeker from France who has not attempted an illegal crossing and meets security and eligibility requirements, including proven family connections to Britain.
Under the treaty, which remains in force until June 2026, adults arriving by small boat can be detained immediately and held at immigration removal centres before deportation. The Home Office makes referrals to France within three days of detention, with French authorities having 12 days to respond. Those returned to France will be permanently barred from the legal route to the UK, whilst anyone attempting to re-enter after deportation will be prioritised for immediate removal.
Sir Keir described the arrangement as the product of “months of grown-up diplomacy” that would “deliver real results”, though Conservative critics have branded the policy “unworkable and wide open to abuse.”
First Detentions and Legal Framework
The first group of migrants was detained on 6 August at Western Jet Foil in Dover, with approximately 100 asylum seekers held in the first two weeks of the scheme’s operation. Their names and details were subsequently passed to the French Government for approval, with formal removal directions issued to those selected for deportation.
Learning from the lengthy legal challenges that plagued the previous Conservative government’s Rwanda scheme, officials say they are prepared to “robustly defend” any legal challenges during the trial phase. The UK has agreed to cover transportation costs for both migrants sent to France and those accepted in return, whilst continuing to pay France almost £500 million over three years for additional officers on the French coast.
Community Compensation Proposals
In a related development, Labour Together, a think tank with close links to the Home Secretary, has proposed multimillion-pound “thank you” payments for communities that have hosted asylum hotels. Under the proposals, areas would be eligible for one-off grants to invest in infrastructure such as children’s play parks, refurbished sports venues, or social clubs.
The money could even be used to bring local facilities, including pubs, shops, or former asylum hotels, into public ownership. A spokesman for the group said: “Many of these hotels used to be places where people got married or socialised with friends. Now they are often the most visible indication of state intervention in their neighbourhood, and emblematic of a system that’s not working for them.”
Scale of the Challenge
The National Audit Office reported in May that the asylum system is likely to cost over £15 billion over ten years, with hotel accommodation alone costing taxpayers over £8 million daily — nearly £3 billion annually — according to Home Office figures cited by Lord Davies of Gower in the House of Lords.
Policy Exchange estimated the annual cost of the small boats crisis at approximately £3.5 billion, whilst the surge in crossings has placed enormous strain on processing facilities. The average number of people per boat has increased from 13 in 2020 to 53 in 2024, with smugglers using increasingly dangerous and overcrowded vessels.
Government Response
The deportations form part of Labour’s broader strategy to address irregular migration, which includes the deployment of 300 additional National Crime Agency officers to target people-smuggling networks and the establishment of a new Border Security Command. In July, the government announced that 25 individuals, including gang leaders and small boat suppliers, had their assets frozen and were banned from travelling to the UK.
Home Secretary Mahmood, tasked with ramping up the UK’s response to small boat crossings, insisted: “Protecting the UK border is my priority as Home Secretary and I will explore all options to restore order to our immigration system.”
However, with crossings continuing at record levels and public discontent growing, the success of this week’s deportation flights could prove crucial in determining whether the government’s approach can stem the tide of Channel crossings that have become one of Britain’s most pressing political challenges.
A Home Office spokesman confirmed: “Under the new UK-France treaty, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France. We expect the first returns to take place imminently. Protecting the UK border is our top priority. We will do whatever it takes to restore order to secure our borders.”
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Image Credit:
Dún Laoghaire RNLI Trent-class lifeboat “Anna Livia” (ON 1200), May 2025 — photo by Ojsyork, CC BY 4.0.
