![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_266326803-806f.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe government is thought to have booked seats on Air France flights to begin carrying out the scheme (Picture: Urbanandsport\/NurPhoto)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tThe government is thought to have booked seats on Air France flights to begin carrying out the scheme (Picture: Urbanandsport\/NurPhoto)<\/p>\n
The first flight to France<\/a> under the government<\/a>\u2019s \u2018one in, one out\u2019 deal<\/a> has taken off without any migrants on board, according to reports.<\/p>\n Seats are believed to have been booked on board Air France passenger planes this week to begin carrying out the scheme, which the Home Office<\/a> hopes will drive down numbers arriving in the UK on small boats.<\/p>\n But the Times<\/a> and Telegraph<\/a> reported that a flight on Monday did not go ahead as planned due to legal challenges.<\/p>\n Home Office minister Alex Davies-Jones told Times Radio this morning: \u2018I\u2019m not going to comment or give a running commentary on what is happening here.\u2019<\/p>\n However, she added: \u2018These deportations will be happening as soon as possible.\u2019<\/p>\n The government is reluctant to reveal the numbers involved in the plan, fearing such details could be used by smuggling gangs to convince people it\u2019s worth the risk.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSign up to Metro’s politics newsletter, Alright Gov?\t\t\t<\/p>\n Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n A certain amount of ambiguity is crucial to the deterrent effect, to make would-be migrants unsure of whether they will be sent immediately back.<\/p>\n Davies-Jones said: \u2018If I was to break down with you exactly a time-by-time, day-by-day movement on our returns policy, then that would be giving these abhorrent people smugglers exactly what they want.<\/p>\n \u2018This would be allowing them to know what the government is doing when, and they would be able to respond to that. We are not going to be doing them any favours.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Under the scheme, a certain number of people who have arrived in the UK illegally would be exchanged with the same number via a \u2018controlled and legal\u2019 route.<\/p>\n The initial group of migrants were detained under the deal<\/a> more than five weeks ago.<\/p>\n It is thought that the first of them could be removed as early as today, unless further legal challenges are filed.<\/p>\n A Home Office spokesperson said: \u2018Under the new UK-France Treaty, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France. We expect the first returns to take place imminently.<\/p>\n \u2018Protecting the UK border is our top priority. We will do whatever it takes to restore order to secure our borders.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t More than 31,000 people have arrived on small boats over the English Channel since the beginning of 2025, a record high compared to the same point in previous years.<\/p>\n Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: \u2018This Labour government is too weak to control our borders.<\/p>\n \u2018Their 16 in, one out deal would see 94% of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel allowed to stay, and Labour are so weak and incompetent they can\u2019t even make that happen.<\/p>\n \u2018Only the Conservatives have a clear plan to deport all illegal arrivals, tackle the lawfare blocking immigration policy, and put a real deterrent in place through our Deportation Bill.\u2019<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_266322491-d166.jpg\")
\n\t\tNew Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will be responsible for the rollout of the plan (Picture: Leon Neal\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"(FILES)](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_265893489-dba0.jpg\")
\n\t\tMore people have crossed the Channel on small boats so far in 2025 than at the same point in any previous year (Picture: Sameer Al-Doumy\/AFP)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: I fled Iran via small boat \u2013 then flew to the UK legally<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Anti-migrant protester who rallied to \u2018protect kids\u2019 revealed to be a paedophile<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: People smugglers are \u2018drugging children and charging \u00a32,600\u2019 to cross the Channel<\/a><\/p>\n