The first family has arrived in the UK under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘one in, one out’ deal with France.
The Home Office said the arrival was part of “critical first steps” under the scheme, following the removal of four people from Britain.
The incoming party was a family of three, including a small child.
The agreement, which came into force last month, is aimed at deporting migrants who have crossed the English Channel in exchange for allowing those who apply in France and are approved to come to the UK.
The government has said the newly-established legal route for those entering the country includes rigorous documentation as well as eligibility and security checks.
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Deputy prime minister David Lammy told Sky News the scheme, which was agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron in the summer, was “just the beginning”.
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A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “This is a clear message to people-smuggling gangs that illegal entry into the UK will not be tolerated.
“We will continue to detain and remove those who arrive by small boat.”
1,000 in one day
Ministers hope the deal will act as a deterrent to those considering making the dangerous journey across the Channel in small boats as the government grapples with soaring numbers of arrivals.
A total of 32,188 people have arrived in Britain by small boat so far in 2025, with more than 1,000 in a single day last Friday, after returns to Paris commenced under the deal.
The government intends to increase the number of people being sent back under the pilot agreement, which runs initially until June next year.
