The first deportation flight of 2026 under the UK government’s controversial “one in, one out” asylum scheme, intended to return asylum seekers who arrived on small boats to France, has been cancelled.
Detainees scheduled to travel on Wednesday morning were informed that their tickets had been withdrawn. One man affected said:
“I came on a boat with 80 people onboard. Ten of us were detained, and 70 were placed in hotels because their asylum claims will be processed here. That’s not fair. I was relieved when our tickets were cancelled, but the guards would not explain why. When I asked, one said: ‘We can’t tell you why.’”
This appears to be the first cancellation of a Home Office deportation charter flight to Paris under this scheme. Sources indicate the cancellation is not linked to any legal challenge.
The decision comes shortly after a report compiled by 80 detainees at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre near Heathrow. The report highlights concerns that while most small boat arrivals have their asylum claims processed in the UK, a minority are detained and issued removal directions to France. The detainees described their detention as “arbitrary and discriminatory,” adding:
“We are not criminals. We are people who fled war, persecution, and injustice. We came to the UK believing in human rights, freedom, and protection. Instead, we are detained, isolated, and silenced.”
Cancelled charter flights can carry significant costs. While exact arrangements for UK-to-France deportation flights are unclear, sources say a typical deportation charter costs around £250,000. Data released under freedom of information laws in 2022 suggested an average cost of £180,000 per flight, varying by aircraft type and destination.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “It’s a longstanding government policy to not comment on operational matters.”
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Source: The Guardian