A NEW migrant returns deal with France will be hit with a slew of last-minute legal battles, Ministers have been warned.
The first batch of deportations of migrants who entered the UK on small boats from France are expected to take place from today.
Britain and France have signed up to a one-in, one out migrant returns deal[/caption]
The government has faced increased pressure to tackle illegal migrant crossings[/caption]
A group of people, thought to be migrants, queue up to board a bus in the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, earlier this month[/caption]
The flights, part of the pact signed between Sir Keir Starmer and his France counterpart Emmanuel Macron back in July, are expected to liftoff this afternoon.
Tories last night raised concerns that legal cases would be brought ahead of the planes taking off.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The government is too naive to realise this.
“They have not scrapped the Human Rights Act in immigration matters or, indeed, the use of modern slavery claims as a pretext to stay in Britain.
“What we should do is deport every single illegal immigrant immediately on arrival.”
But the government has faced major criticism as since the deal came into effect last month, some 5,400 small boat migrants have arrived on UK shores.
Migrants have been told by text message that they will be sent back on Air France planes and will be accompanied by security guards.
Those being sent back to France have been given five days’ notice of the Home Office‘s intention to deport them, The Times reported.
But this will mean that anyone will be able to seek legal advice and potentially fight the decision.
The migrants will be taken from Harmondsworth immigration removal centre which is close to Heathrow airport.
Commercial planes are being used to keep costs at a minimum rather than charter private flights.
One of the messages sent to a migrant due for deportation tomorrow, seen by The Times, said: “You will be removed from the UK on Air France Flight (AF) 1681 which departs from Heathrow Terminal 4 at 09:00 on 16/09/2025 and arrives in Paris, France at 11:20 on 16/09/2025.”
It’s expected that fewer than 100 migrants will be sent back to France as part of the pilot scheme.
But this year alone, some 31,026 migrants have arrived in the UK on small boats.
The scheme, created while Yvette Cooper served as Home Secretary, was blasted last month as useless by former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
More than 31,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boats this year[/caption]
The ‘one in one out’ scheme was created while Yvette Cooper served as Home Secretary[/caption]
Shabana Mahmood, appointed Home Secretary earlier this month, has already presided over more than 1000 migrants crossing the Channel by small boats[/caption]
He told the BBC he and former PM Rishi Sunak had pushed for France to accept “every single illegal migrant” in a deal.
He said: “The French said no, and said no again to Starmer when he’s tried to do the same.
“The answer is to have a proper deterrent — sorting out our human rights laws, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and then ensuring we actually deport everyone.”
However, Attorney General Lord Hermer has said leaving the treaty would actually harm the government’s efforts to end the Channel crisis.
Senior figures in Reform, the Tories and even Labour want to abandon the Strasbourg Convention over concerns it is thwarting serious attempts to grip illegal migration.
Critics have warned that our obligations under the treaty – and others – are preventing ministers from instantly deporting asylum seekers.
Speaking earlier this month, Lord Hermer said: “As some people are now advocating, to leave, would be entirely counterproductive if what we are seeking is not rhetorical answers but real practical answers.
“If we leave, those deals go. No one’s going to enter agreements to us if we’re not complying with the same standards across the immigration and asylum system. It would be contrary to the national interest.
“It would be impractical and of course it would do, I think, great damage to this country’s long fought for reputation as a leader in international law.”
