Indian becomes first person to be deported from UK to France under new treaty

An Indian citizen has reportedly become the first person to bedeported from the United Kingdom to France under a new returns treaty aimed at curbing illegal English Channel crossings by small boats.

According to reports, France’s Interior Ministry confirmed it had received one migrant on Wednesday (September 17) but declined to specify the nationality.

Meanwhile, a French government source has told AFP that London had returned an Indian national.

Also Read: Indian woman urges US to deport ‘fake asylee’ husband

Securing borders

Reacting to the development, Britain’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood called it “an important first step to securing our borders”.

“Today we have dealt a blow to the smuggler gangs. The removal of small boat migrants to France has begun. I will do whatever it takes to secure our borders – and this is a vital first step,” she said.

Mahmood added that the move sent a strong signal to those attempting illegal Channel crossings. “If you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you,” she said.

The UK’s Home Office confirmed that further deportations are planned later this week and next, while the first legal arrivals from France are expected “in the coming days”.

Also Read: India raises handcuffing, manhandling of Indian man at Newark airport with US

UK-France asylum deal

The deportation comes just over a month after London and Paris signed a year-long “one in, one out” scheme. The deal allows Britain to return small-boat migrants deemed ineligible for asylum, including those who have passed through a "safe country" to reach UK shores.

In exchange, the UK will accept an equal number of migrants from France through an online visa application system. The scheme aims to deter Channel crossings by increasing the risk of deportation while offering legal alternatives.

The UK government, which has pitched much of its push against illegal migration as a fight against people smuggling gangs, boosted funding for Border Security in August by £100 million to disrupt trafficking gangs.

The scheme, set to run until July 2026, has already faced legal challenges. Earlier this week, deportation flights were reportedly delayed after the high court temporarily blocked the removal of an Eritrean migrant.

However, the court later allowed the man’s deportation to proceed.

Also Read: Indian woman detained in US for shoplifting at Target; video goes viral

Starmer backs new treaty

Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly hailed the deportation as “proof of concept” that the new UK-France partnership is working. “We need to ramp that up at scale, which was always envisaged under the scheme,” he said.

Starmer, who took office in July 2024 pledging to “smash the gangs” behind Channel crossings, has already scrapped his predecessor’s controversial Rwanda deportation plan.

The Home Office has also begun reviewing the UK’s modern slavery legislation. Mahmood reiterated that Britain would continue to help genuine refugees but only through “safe, legal, and managed routes – not dangerous crossings.”

Meanwhile, France confirmed it would send the first group of migrants to the UK under the treaty from Saturday (September 20), while the British Home Office also said the first legal arrivals from France through the new asylum route are expected in the UK in the coming days.