Nineteen more removed to France under 'one in, one out' scheme

Two larger groups of migrants have been returned to France in what the home secretary has described as a "ramping up" of the "one in, one out" agreement.

Nine people were removed on Thursday, in addition to a group of 10 last week, the government said. Previous removals have involved smaller numbers of people.

It takes the number returned to France under the deal to 26, while the UK has accepted 18 in return.

Ministers hope the scheme will deter people from attempting to enter the UK illegally in small boats by threatening removal to France, with properly vetted asylum seekers accepted in return.

But on Thursday, the Home Office confirmed 1,075 migrants crossed the Channel the previous day.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the recent return of larger groups would send a "clear message" to "think twice" about travelling to the UK illegally.

"We must put an end to these dangerous crossings which put lives at risk and money in the pockets of criminal gangs," Mahmood said.

Thursday's flight saw a regular deportation flight bound for Eastern Europe diverted to France to offload nine people.

The Home Office said more flights are scheduled to take place "over the coming days and weeks".

The first removal under the UK-France deal was carried out in September, with the scheme set to run until June 2026.

More than 33,500 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since the start of 2025.

Last month, 125 people made the journey in a single vessel, the largest number to cross in one boat on record.

French authorities say they have prevented more than 17,600 attempted crossings this year.