First 'one in, one out' migrant sent back to France after turbulent week of legal battles

It is understood the deportation took place despite the threats of legal action.He is the first of up to 100 Channel migrants detained by Border Force at the start of last month to have been sent back to France.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: "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. 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.”"

A French government official said that there is a planned reciprocal flight of the first legitimate asylum seekers from France to the UK.

The senior immigration official said: "We have already had an arrival this morning and will no doubt welcome two today and we expect a departure on Saturday of a group of asylum seekers to the UK."

The French Government requested an Indian migrant, as it means they will offer him voluntary return to his homeland, where the Government pays the airfare and offers €2,500.

If the migrant refuses, he will then face expulsion from the country rather than the chance of asylum, as France has a reciprocal arrangement with the Indian Government to accept enforced returns.

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It follows a senior Labour MP telling GB News the Government was left "frustrated" after days of deadlock over the scheme.

Speaking to GB News, James Murray, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the decision by the court to block flights is "intensely frustrating" for the Government.

An Eritrean migrant set to be deported to France was granted leave to remain in the UK after claiming his experience of being "tortured and trafficked" should "prevent him from being returned".

The High Court blocked the migrant from being returned, becoming the second flight departing Heathrow Airport with zero migrants on board.

Mr Murray told GB News: "It's intensely frustrating, and I know that the Home Secretary has expressed quite how frustrated she is at this.

"And we all are, as Government ministers, frustrated by this last minute attempt to thwart what we were trying to do to stop people being deported."

Quizzed by host Stephen Dixon on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's more "robust" approach to the migrant crisis, the Labour MP told GB News: "There's been a huge amount of work over the last year when the former Home Secretary was in her position.

"Whether that's getting the Borders Bill introduced in Parliament and beginning to take that through and get that into law, whether that's closing hotels for asylum seekers, whether that's negotiating deals with the French and so on."

Pressed by presenter Ellie Costello on whether the Government must "go further" in cracking down on legislation such as the Modern Slavery Act, Mr Murray declared that migrants have made a "mockery" of Britain's legal system.

He said: "I think really, to be honest, what has happened in this case makes a mockery of our laws and of our country's generosity.

"I think, as I understand it, this individual has decided they're a modern slave at this late stage, despite having never mentioned that before.

"As I say, it is a mockery of our of our legislation in modern slavery, which is important legislation. But we also need to recognise that exploitation happens on these shores."