First small boat migrants detained for return to France under new deal

The first small boat arrivals have been detained for removal to France under a "groundbreaking" new returns agreement.

Detentions began for those who arrived on a vessel on Wednesday - with those being held expected to be sent back within a fortnight. It comes as new 'one in one out' agreement with France comes into force aimed at tackling dangerous crossings.

The Government has warned people considering travelling to the UK this way to think again, as they risk being returned and losing the money they pay traffickers. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper branded it an "important step forward". It comes after Keir Starmer hails a major UK-France deal to tackle Channel small boat crossings.

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She said: "Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil and will now be held in detention until they can be returned to France. That sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat.

“No one should be making this illegal and dangerous journey that undermines our border security and lines the pockets of the criminal gangs.

“Criminal gangs have spent seven years embedding themselves along our border and it will take time to unravel them, but these detentions are an important step towards undermining their business model and unravelling the false promises they make. These are the early days for this pilot scheme, and it will develop over time. But we are on track to do what no other government has done since this crisis first started - sending small boat arrivals back to France and strengthening our borders through the Plan for Change.”

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