Sixteen people deported to France under returns deal in single flight

Sixteen more people who entered the UK illegally have been returned to France this week, taking the number deported under the deal to 42, the Home Office said.

More flights are expected to take place in the coming days and week.

It is understood the number of migrants arriving under the treaty now stands at 23.

The departures come as a total of 369 people crossed the English Channel in seven boats on Saturday bringing the total for the year so far to 36,734, according to analysis of  Home Office figures by the PA news agency.

The total is 82 short of the total for the entire of 2024 which was 36,816.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “For many years, illegal migrants entered our country with no consequence.

“This is the largest return flight under our historic deal with the French.

“And it sends a warning to those considering entering this country illegally: if you come here by small boat, you can be sent back.

“This is just the beginning – I will scale up these removals to France.

“And I will do whatever it takes to secure our borders.”

The “one-in, one-out” returns deal struck between Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year is aimed at creating a disincentive for the dangerous Channel crossing.

Border security chief Martin Hewitt this week told MPs that the number of arrivals by small boat to the UK is “frustrating” but insisted work to stop the smuggling route was “always going to take time”.

The Border Security Commander, who has been in post for a year, rejected the idea it was a “fool’s errand” to go after smuggling gangs and said was convinced the plan in place “will deliver”.

Ministers have been continuing in their efforts to stem the so-called “upstream” causes of the crossings.

Earlier this week, Ms Mahmood met in central London with her counterparts from the western Balkans.

International policing efforts are attempting to crack down on smuggling gangs who have plotted trafficking routes through the region.

Next week, Sir Keir Starmer will host a leaders’ summit with western Balkan countries to agree further measures to bring down the number of migrants arriving illegally to the UK.