Migrant Deported Under UK-France Deal Returns to Britain on Small Boat

A migrant who was among the first to be deported to France under the UK’s new “one in, one out” agreement has made his way back to Britain by crossing the Channel in a small boat, a government minister confirmed. He will now be deported again.

The deal, reached in July between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, allows the UK to send certain undocumented migrants back to France in exchange for taking in an equal number of asylum seekers with family ties in Britain. Starmer described the arrangement as “ground-breaking,” saying it would help curb small boat crossings and dismantle smuggling networks.

According to The Guardian, the unnamed migrant claimed he had been a victim of modern slavery in northern France. His return—just 29 days after being deported—made headlines across the UK, with newspapers running titles such as “One in, one out… and back in again” and “Le Farce.”

Government figures show that 42 people have been sent back to France so far under the pilot phase of the scheme. Meanwhile, small boat arrivals this year have climbed to 36,954, already exceeding 2024’s total and marking 2025 as the second-busiest year on record after 2022.

Junior minister Josh MacAlister told Sky News that the man had once again paid smugglers to cross the Channel and would be deported for a second time. “He shouldn’t have come across in the first place,” MacAlister said. “He will be returned again, and we will make sure that happens.”