UK deports Indian migrant to Paris in first case under new UK-France treaty

New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 19, 2025 04:04 IST

An Indian national who crossed the English Channel on a small boat became the first person to be deported under the UK’s new returns treaty with France, the government confirmed on Thursday.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the removal as “an important first step” in the government’s campaign to clamp down on illegal migration orchestrated by people-smuggling gangs.

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

The unnamed Indian man, who reportedly arrived in August, was flown to Paris on a commercial flight from Heathrow, according to a report in PTI. Under the so-called “one-in, one-out” treaty signed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, the UK can detain and swiftly return small-boat arrivals while accepting the same number of vetted asylum seekers from France through a safe and legal route.

Mahmood stressed that Britain would not tolerate delays in the courts. “I will continue to challenge any last-minute, vexatious attempts to frustrate a removal,” she said. “The UK will always play its part in helping those genuinely fleeing persecution, but this must be done through safe, legal, and managed routes – not dangerous crossings.”

Home Office officials said the deported migrant would be offered voluntary return to India once in France. He cannot apply for asylum in the UK under the new scheme and may face enforced removal if he refuses voluntary return.

The development followed official Home Office statistics released in August, which indicated that the number of Indian nationals held in detention under UK immigration law had increased by 108 percent over the past year. According to the data, 2,715 Indians were logged as being in detention under the UK’s immigration law breach.

The treaty, which came into effect on August 6 and runs until June 2026, is designed to ease the strain on Britain’s asylum system by curbing the use of hotels to house migrants. In exchange, the UK will accept vetted asylum applicants directly from France.

The first returns through this legal route are expected in the coming days, the Home Office said, while further deportation flights are already planned. Officials also pointed to record levels of enforcement, with over 35,000 individuals without legal right to stay removed in the past year.

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With inputs from PTI