Two more people deported under UK-France 'one in, one out' returns deal

Two more people have been returned to France under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's "one in, one out" deal, bringing the total to six so far.

An Afghan and a Somali were sent back to the continent on Thursday morning, it is understood.

Others deported last week were from Iran, Afghanistan, Eritrea and India.

For each migrant returned to France, the UK will allow an asylum seeker to enter through a safe and legal route - as long as they have not previously tried to enter illegally.

The first people to come to the UK under the pilot scheme were a family of three, including a small child. They arrived on Wednesday.

Ministers agreed the pilot scheme with the French government in July as part of efforts to deter the record number of arrivals by small boat crossings.

Explainer: What is the UK-France migrant returns deal?

More than 32,000 people have arrived in the UK after making the dangerous journey so far this year.

However, on Wednesday, the Home Office was refused permission to challenge a High Court ruling that granted an Eritrean man a temporary block on his deportation to France.

Last week, a judge granted the man 14 days to make representations to support his claim that he was a victim of modern slavery.

The "one in, one out" agreement includes rigorous documentation as well as eligibility and security checks, the government says.

(c) Sky News 2025: Two more people deported under UK-France 'one in, one out' returns deal