UK Deports First Migrant, An Indian National, Under New Illegal Immigration Scheme

Last Updated:September 19, 2025, 17:42 IST

An Indian national became the first person deported from the UK under a new treaty.

The deported man is expected to be offered a paid-for voluntary return to India once back in France.(Shutterstock File Photo)

An Indian national became the first person to be deported from the United Kingdom under a new returns treaty with France, after he entered the country illegally on a small boat across the English Channel, the UK Home Office said. The unnamed man, who is reported to have arrived in early August, was flown from Heathrow Airport to Paris on a commercial flight under the “one-in, one-out” deal recently struck between London and Paris.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood hailed the deportation as a landmark move in the government’s effort to curb illegal migration, saying, “This is an important first step to securing our borders. It sends a message to people crossing in small boats: if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you.”

She added, “I will continue to challenge any last-minute, vexatious attempts to frustrate a removal in the courts. The UK will always play its part in helping those genuinely fleeing persecution, but this must be done through safe, legal, and managed routes – not dangerous crossings.”

The deported man is expected to be offered a paid-for voluntary return to India once back in France. Under the scheme, he cannot apply for asylum in the UK and could face enforced deportation if he does not accept the voluntary return option.

The development comes amid a surge in Indian nationals being detained under the UK’s immigration crackdown. Official figures released in August showed that the number of Indians in detention nearly doubled in the past year- up 108% to 2,715.

The deported Indian national is among the first group of migrants detained by the UK Border Force under the new UK-France treaty, which began in August and will run as a pilot scheme until June 2026. While more deportation flights are expected in the coming days, the Home Office confirmed that the UK will also begin to receive arrivals from France through the new asylum route under the reciprocal agreement.

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