By Piyush M Padwale
On Thursday, an Indian national became the first person to be deported under the UK’s new returns treaty with France, aimed at reducing illegal crossings by people smugglers at the English Channel. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood calls this “an important step” in securing borders.
The Indian migrant reportedly crossed the Channel in August through a small boat and was deported on a commercial flight from Heathrow to Paris. Once in France, the migrant will be offered a voluntary return to India. If refused, they may face enforced removal.
The treaty has been in effect since August 6, 2025, and is set to run until June 2026. Under this new “one-in, one-out” treaty signed by UK PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, when the UK deports small-boat arrivals to France, the UK will accept the same number of vetted asylum seekers directly from France via safe, legal routes.
Although critics warn the treaty risks harming vulnerable migrants and faces legal hurdles, the government calls it a vital, humane deterrent to illegal crossings and presents the treaty as a cooperative alternative to schemes like Rwanda by pairing returns with safe legal routes.
The UK government has also emphasised that people entering illegally won’t be able to apply for asylum in the UK under this scheme. The Home Secretary has also stated that there will be challenges to last minute, vexatious attempts to block removals via court actions.
Looking into statistics, it has been observed that the number of Indian nationals under UK immigration law has increased by 108% over the past year, reaching a total of nearly 2715. Furthermore, over 35,000 individuals without the legal right to stay have been removed in the past year.