First migrant flown back to France in UK's 'one in, one out' policy to curb unauthorized migration

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LONDON (AP) — The U.K. returned the first migrant to France on Thursday under a new “ one in, one out” exchange policy for asylum-seekers who enter the country without authorization.

A man who arrived by boat in August was flown back to France, the Home Office said. More deportations are scheduled through next week.

“This is an important first step to securing our borders,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. “It sends a message to people crossing in small boats: if you enter the U.K. illegally, we will seek to remove you.”

The policy was put in place by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government as it struggles to control the flow of migrants making dangerous English Channel crossings.

Unauthorized migration has been a problem for several years but has recently caused political turmoil for Starmer as anti-immigrant protests were held this summer outside hotels housing asylum seekers.

The removal came two days after a setback for the government when a judge temporarily blocked the government from sending a 25-year-old Eritrean man seeking asylum to France. A High Court judge said the man should be given an opportunity to show he was a human trafficking victim.

Government lawyers argued the man should have sought asylum in France when he had the opportunity.

Mahmood said the government would appeal and would fight all last-minute attempts to halt removals.

More than 30,000 people have made the crossing so far this year, compared to 37,000 for the whole of 2024. Dozens have died in recent years trying to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in overcrowded dinghies.

Starmer scrapped the previous Conservative administration’s contentious plan to send migrants who crossed the channel on a one-way trip to Rwanda.

Instead, he has pinned hopes on a deal with Paris to send some people who cross back to France, in return for accepting some asylum-seekers currently in France who have family ties to Britain.

U.K. officials have suggested the French agreement is a major breakthrough, despite the initial program involving a limited number of people.

The government is also looking to speed up the processing of asylum claims and reduce the number of migrants held in hotels.