An Eritrean man has been returned from the UK to France under the government’s “one in, one out” migrant exchange agreement, following a court’s refusal to block his removal.
Under the policy, people who enter the UK illegally, especially via small‑boats, can be sent back to France, while the UK accepts an equal number of migrants from France who meet eligibility criteria.
The man, who arrived in the UK in August after a journey that included stops in Libya, has told officials he fled forced conscription in 2019.
He left France under the arrangement after a High Court judge denied his last‑minute challenge.
He was flown out from Heathrow and handed over to French authorities in Paris, who will take him to an accommodation centre.
Under French law, he has eight days to either seek asylum or return to his home country.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the removal “an important first step to securing our borders,” while stressing the policy is about deterrence and balancing asylum claims via legal routes.
