Labour's Migration Deal Results in Net Inflow of Migrants
Official figures have revealed that the number of migrants brought into Britain under Labour's flagship 'one in, one out' agreement with France is 25 percent higher than the total number who have been removed. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed that 281 small boat migrants have been deported back to France under the reciprocal arrangement.
Significant Discrepancy in Arrival and Removal Numbers
However, the Home Office has so far admitted 350 other migrants from France to the United Kingdom under the same deal. This creates a net inflow of 70 individuals through the scheme that was designed to manage Channel crossings more effectively.
Ms Mahmood described the difference between arrivals and deportations carried out under the treaty as 'very normal discrepancies' during an interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast. 'We've had 350 people come in to the country from France and 281 have been removed,' she stated. 'There are very normal discrepancies on these numbers. They are relatively small numbers, but this was a pilot.'
More Migrants Awaiting Transfer Under Agreement
The Home Secretary confirmed that additional migrants are already lined up in France 'waiting to come over' under the reciprocal terms established with President Emmanuel Macron's government. The deal was originally agreed between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the French president last July as Labour sought alternative approaches to managing migration after scrapping the Conservative's Rwanda scheme.
'It was designed to try to prove this new model of working with the French could work,' Ms Mahmood explained. 'There are practical issues around how quickly you can detain people and get them on a plane and move them out to France. We've actually sped up removals to France and then taking people in.'
Conservative Criticism of the Scheme's Effectiveness
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has branded the figures a 'lamentable admission of failure' by the government. He highlighted that while 41,000 migrants arrived via small boats last year, only 281 have been removed under the scheme.
'The government scheme has resulted in a net inflow of 70 immigrants,' Mr Philp stated. 'And worse than that, they have only removed 281 illegal immigrants when 41,000 arrived last year. The chances of an illegal Channel migrant being removed under this scheme is virtually zero.'
The Conservative MP added: 'It's no surprise that illegal immigrants continue to flood across the Channel on this Home Secretary's watch. She has no control of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel whatsoever.'
Implementation Challenges and Future Expansion
Ms Mahmood acknowledged implementation challenges during the pilot phase, noting that the scheme 'started very small and very slowly, because the French authorities and us were concerned about whether we could physically handle implementing the pilot and whether we had the right infrastructure in place.'
She revealed one significant obstacle: 'One of the first problems we ran in to was we couldn't find enough people to bring in to Britain through the new route because there wasn't enough knowledge. You have got to compete with organised immigration crime to get your messages out.'
Despite these challenges, the Home Secretary indicated that 'the numbers will grow' as the scheme develops. More than 21,000 small boat migrants have reached Britain across the Channel since the deal was first announced.
Concerns About Return of Deported Migrants
An additional complication has emerged regarding migrants who have been returned to France under the agreement. Those sent back are housed in state accommodation centres but are not detained, meaning they are free to come and go. Several individuals have already been found to have returned to Britain after being deported, raising questions about the scheme's long-term effectiveness.
French Rights Advisor Calls for Restraint in Policing Methods
The migration agreement faces further complications following intervention from France's human rights advisor. Claire Hédon, the country's influential Defender of Rights, has called for police to stop using rubber bullets and tear gas to prevent small-boat migrants sailing to Britain.
In an 18-page report, Ms Hédon stated that tactics used on the beaches of Calais and Normandy are 'disproportionate' and risk harming individuals. She wrote: 'The objective of preventing departures is understandable given the danger of the crossing, and law enforcement plays a protective role, but this cannot be done at any cost. The use of intermediate force weapons endangers people.'
The rights advisor specifically recommended that the use of 'flash ball' guns that fire rubber bullets and riot-control tear gas should be 'excluded...when the sole purpose of the security forces is to prevent people from boarding a boat.' Her recommendations have been branded 'crazy' by some critics and raise concerns that Paris may breach its agreement with the Labour government to take more robust action against sea crossings.
