LABOUR’S “one-in, one-out” migrant deal will do nothing to stop the surge in small boat crossings, a former immigration minister has blasted.
The trial, which starts today, sees up to 50 Channel migrants a week sent back to France while the UK will take in the same number via a legal route.
Chris EadesLabour’s ‘one-in, one-out’ migrant deal has been blasted as ineffective[/caption]
Detentions are expected to begin within days and removals could start in weeks.
But Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick slammed the plan as “so watered down”.
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.”
Charity visa routes are also being tightened as a Nigerian YouTuber boasted about using them to get into the UK.
Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle admitted it “looks like” the route is being abused.
Ministers plan to stop universities taking foreign students if they do not prevent courses being used to claim asylum.
The first small boat migrants set to be booted back to France under the new “one in, one out” returns deal will be rounded up by the end of the week, the Home Office confirmed.
The scheme, which has now been signed off by the European Commission, kicks in today and marks the first major returns agreement with an EU state since Brexit.
Border Force officers are on standby to start picking out who’ll be sent packing, with dozens of beds already cleared at immigration removal centres across the UK.
Under the rules, any adult arriving illegally by small boat could face deportation.
For every one sent back, Britain will take in a “genuine asylum seeker” from France — but only if they’ve got family ties here or come from a country with a high level of successful asylum claims, such as Afghanistan, Iran or Eritrea.
The pilot will run for nearly a year.
While the Home Office hasn’t confirmed exact numbers, insiders say around 50 migrants a week will be deported.
The figure equates to just one in 17 arrivals, based on current crossing levels.
Top officials say the people smugglers’ business model will only collapse if up to 85 per cent of crossings are stopped.
The deal is part of Sir Keir Starmer’s wider vow to “smash the gangs”.
But channel crossings have hit record highs, with a whopping 25,436 people making the journey this year alone, up nearly 50 per cent on 2024.
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