A second migrant deportation flight due to take off under Britain’s new “one in, one out” deal with France has left London without an asylum seeker on board.
In a major blow to the Prime Minister’s small boats crackdown, an Air France flight from Heathrow to Paris on Tuesday morning left without any migrant passengers following further last-minute legal challenges.
It follows a small group of people who had entered the UK illegally by crossing the Channel being removed from a flight on Monday after an objection blocked the deportations.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said on Tuesday: “We've never provided an operational running commentary on the details of the scheme. We will provide an update soon as we have one.”
He added: “We're confident of a legal basis for this pilot and taking steps to ensure it's compliant with domestic and international law. As with any policy we're prepared to respond to any legal scrutiny that occurs.”
A UK minister on Tuesday morning insisted deportations under the “one in, on out” deal will go ahead – despite the first returns collapsing at the last minute.
The passenger flight went ahead without any migrants on board, according to The Times, and is one of several throughout the week on which the Home Office has booked seats for migrants.
A Government source said the first deportation flights under the deal with France are expected to take place this week.
Speaking on Tuesday morning, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said she would not give a "running commentary" on when deportations would occur, claiming this would give people smugglers "exactly what they want".
She told Times Radio: "I'm not going to comment or give a running commentary on what is happening here."
Asked when migrants would be returned to France, she said: "These deportations will be happening as soon as possible."
But she declined to say when, or whether asylum seekers due to arrive from France as part of the scheme would still fly to the UK later this week.
Asked why she would not comment, she said: "If 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.
"This 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."
Earlier on Monday, skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith also refused to say how many people will be returned to France this week under the deal.
The French are reported to have said they will only be accepting a small initial contingent of deportations.
Ministers have previously said the scheme will ramp up the number of deportations over time.
The pilot scheme will see the UK send back to France asylum seekers who have crossed the Channel, in exchange for those who apply and are approved to come to Britain.
Kemi Badenoch said it was "extraordinary" that the first deportations under the with France were postponed.
"Labour had a one in, one out deal with France,” she told broadcasters in central London.
“They failed to get anybody out, and we're still taking in more people from France, so we're still having net increase in immigration based on this deal.
"It is extraordinary that Labour are not able to deport one person. There was only one migrant on that flight.
"I think that that is extraordinary. It shows that they haven't got a clue.”
Reports suggest formal removal directions have been issued to those who arrived in the UK on small boats last month, telling them they will be deported within five days.
The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has topped 30,000 for the year so far.
It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 30,000 mark has been passed since data on the crossings was first reported in 2018.
