London, September 19: An Indian national has become the first person to be deported from the United Kingdom under the new UK-France migration agreement, designed to curb illegal crossings of the English Channel.
The individual, who allegedly entered Britain via a small boat in early August, was flown from Heathrow to Paris last Thursday under the “one-in, one-out” pilot scheme. The arrangement allows the UK to return illegal migrants to France while accepting an equal number of asylum seekers through legal routes.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood hailed the deportation as “an important first step” in tightening border controls. “This sends a clear message: if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you,” she said, adding that Britain would continue supporting “genuine refugees” through safe and legal channels rather than “people smugglers and risky journeys.”
According to Home Office sources, the deported Indian man will be offered voluntary return to India from France. If he refuses, he faces enforced removal and will not be eligible to claim asylum.
The action comes amid a steep rise in illegal immigration cases involving Indians. Official figures for August show 2,715 Indians in UK immigration detention, a 108 per cent increase from last year.
The treaty, launched in August and running as a pilot until June 2026, allows Britain to block illegal entrants from applying for asylum, easing pressure on the system and reducing reliance on hotel accommodation. In exchange, vetted migrants from France will be accepted through controlled legal routes.
The Home Office said it would continue to challenge legal bids to halt removals, noting that more than 35,000 individuals without legal status were deported in the past year, with foreign criminal returns rising 14 per cent and asylum-related removals up 28 per cent.
