Migrant Returns Deal Sends Back Just 4%
The government’s flagship “one in, one out” returns deal with France has sent back only about 4 per cent of the migrants who arrived, according to figures reported on Tuesday. The disclosure, a day after a court ordered one removal reversed, put fresh pressure on a scheme ministers have held up as a deterrent. Small-boat crossings have continued through the summer.
Under the arrangement, Britain returns some arrivals to France in exchange for accepting others through legal routes, but the low proportion actually sent back undercuts claims that it is stemming the flow. With Reform UK pushing its plan to deploy the Navy and the government promising a “relentless” crackdown, the modest results hand ammunition to critics on all sides. Legal challenges, like the one that forced a return this week, further complicate removals. The government insists the deal will build over time. Watch whether the numbers improve or the policy is overhauled.