Deportation flights under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s one in, one out migrant deal with France have faced fresh disruption. For the second day in a row, planned flights from Heathrow to Paris left without carrying any migrants. Legal challenges and protests from charities forced the delays, creating a major test for the Government’s new immigration strategy.
Flights Cancelled After Court Challenges
The Home Office had scheduled daily deportations on commercial Air France flights throughout the week. Yet both Monday and Tuesday flights departed empty after last-minute legal interventions. Migrants’ lawyers raised claims under human rights protections, while campaign groups mobilized to pressure the airline not to cooperate.
Officials had hoped the deportations would deter Channel crossings, but the cancellations represent an early setback. With over 31,000 migrants having crossed to England in 2025—already the highest total at this stage since small boat arrivals began in 2018—the Government is under growing pressure to prove its new approach can work.
The First Migrant Still Grounded
Reports on Monday suggested that the first migrant selected for return was removed from his scheduled Air France flight at the last moment. French officials were told he would instead travel on Tuesday. That flight, however, was also cancelled. The process has now been delayed by at least another day.
A second deportation was planned for Tuesday, but his lawyers argued that his past experience of torture and trafficking should prevent his removal. As a result, no migrants were returned to France on either day.
Charities Mobilize Against Flights
British and French charities have launched a campaign to block the removals. They urged Air France not to assist the Home Office by carrying deportees on commercial routes. Activists flooded the airline with emails, phone calls, and social media messages calling for an end to cooperation with the scheme.
Campaigners argue that deported migrants could face further danger or may have legitimate asylum claims in the UK. Legal representatives are also expected to challenge removals under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to family life, particularly if migrants have relatives already in Britain.
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Legal Framework Slows Process
Under existing rules, the Home Office must provide migrants with sufficient time to access legal advice. This requirement stems from previous court rulings against the Conservative government’s Rwanda deportation plan. Lawyers say this has extended the timeframe for challenges and contributed to the current delays.
Officials had expected the process to move faster, but each case is now subject to more extensive legal review. Many of the migrants affected come from countries with high asylum acceptance rates. Others originate from Eritrea, Afghanistan, and Sudan, nations that consistently account for significant numbers of Channel crossings.
Reciprocal Flights into the UK
The one in, one out deal agreed between Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in July requires both sides to take migrants. As part of the arrangement, the UK will also receive asylum seekers from France.
The first inbound flight to Britain is expected this Saturday, carrying fewer than 10 people. French officials indicated they would prefer larger groups on fewer flights but have accepted the current arrangement. The numbers will remain small in the early stages, with only two or three migrants likely to be on the first aircraft.
Conditions for Returned Migrants in France
According to French authorities, migrants returned under the deal will initially be housed in emergency hotels. They will not be detained but will be free to move in and out.
Didier Leschi, director general of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, acknowledged that some might attempt to cross back to the UK. However, he said they would face re-deportation if caught. French officials will also encourage voluntary return programs for migrants to go back to their home countries. Those refusing assistance and found ineligible for asylum may be subject to deportation orders within France.
Government Insists Policy Will Continue
Despite the delays, Downing Street rejected suggestions that the deal is failing. When asked if the setbacks meant the plan was collapsing, the Prime Minister’s spokesman replied: “No.” He stressed that the Government would not provide “an operational running commentary” and would give updates on detentions when appropriate.
Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones defended the Government’s cautious communication strategy, saying that revealing daily details would only benefit people smugglers. “We are not going to be doing them any favours,” she said, while insisting deportations would take place soon.
Political Attacks Intensify
The opposition has wasted no time in criticizing the Government’s handling of the flights. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Labour of weakness and incompetence, claiming ministers had “failed to deport a single illegal immigrant yesterday or today as they had promised.”
Philp argued that only a full repeal of the Human Rights Act in immigration cases would prevent such legal blockages. He dismissed the one in, one out deal as inadequate, insisting that even if implemented, it would still allow most Channel arrivals to remain in the UK.
“The Government’s latest gimmick is a joke,” Philp declared. “They are too weak to control our borders.”
A Fragile Start to a Contentious Deal
For now, the future of Starmer’s migration deal with France remains uncertain. The Government says deportations will begin imminently, but the first week has revealed the scale of legal and political obstacles it faces. Both governments must now balance legal protections, humanitarian concerns, and public pressure for border control as the Channel crisis intensifies.
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