Indian national first to be deported from UK under new illegal migration scheme
London (PTI): An Indian national who reportedly arrived in the UK illegally on a small boat across the English Channel became the first to be deported to France under a new treaty on Thursday.
The unnamed man who is said to have arrived in early August has been flown out to Paris on a commercial flight from Heathrow Airport under the so-called “one-in, one-out” deal struck recently as part of a UK-France returns treaty.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood dubbed it an “important first step” in the government’s attempt to clamp down on soaring illegal migration perpetuated by people smugglers across the Channel.
“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,” said Mahmood.
“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,” she said.
Home Office sources confirmed that the deported man was an Indian national, who is expected to be offered a paid-for voluntary return to his home country once back in France. He would not be able to apply for asylum and could go on to face enforced deportation if he did not take up the voluntary scheme.
The development came after official Home Office figures released in August claimed that Indian nationals in detention as part of the UK’s wider crackdown on illegal immigration had almost doubled in the past year, up 108 per cent. According to the data, 2,715 Indians were logged as being in detention under the UK’s immigration law breach.
The man to be deported on Thursday is among the first batch of migrants detained by the UK Border Force under the new treaty, which came into force in August as a pilot scheme to run until June 2026.
While further returns or deportations are planned on flights in the coming days, the first arrivals from France through the new asylum route under the reciprocal scheme are expected in the UK in the coming days, the Home Office said.
It said the new scheme enables the UK authorities to detain and remove people who enter illegally via small boats, blocking their access to the country’s asylum system in an effort to reduce the burden on hotel accommodation.
In return, the UK will accept an equal number of migrants through a newly established safe and legal route, subject to what the Home Office termed as “rigorous documentation, eligibility, and security checks”.
“The Home Secretary has made clear that the Home Office will robustly defend legal challenges to removal. Today we will lodge an appeal to the Court of Appeal to limit the time the person has to provide evidence for reconsideration,” the Home Office said.
It claims over 35,000 individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK have been returned in the past year, with returns of foreign criminals and asylum-related returns rising by 14 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
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Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
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According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
