MIGRANT DEPORTED TO FRANCE RETURNS TO UK
A migrant who had been deported to France has re-entered the UK under the 'one-in, one-out' agreement. The man claimed to have been a victim of modern slavery at the hands of human traffickers in Northern France.
The man stated: 'When we were returned to France, we were taken to a shelter in Paris. I didn't dare to go out because I was afraid for my life. The smugglers are very dangerous. They always carry weapons and knives. I fell into the trap of a human trafficking network in the forests of France before I crossed to the UK from France the first time.
‘When I reached the UK the first time and the Home Office asked what had happened to me, I was crying and couldn't speak about it because of shame.’
The agreements made between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are intended as a disincentive for the dangerous Channel crossing. Migrants who arrive illegally in the UK can be returned to France, in exchange for an equivalent number of people who have applied through a legal route.
A Home Office spokesperson stated: 'We will not accept any abuse of our borders, and we will do everything in our power to remove those without the legal right to be here. Individuals who are returned under the pilot and subsequently attempt to re-enter the UK illegally will
Around 22,000 people have been 'smuggled' by gangs. Small boat crossings account for 4% of UK immigration, but over 80% is illegal.
