UK High Court Upholds Deportations to France Under 'One In, One Out' Scheme

Two sets of migrants have lost their High Court bids to halt deportations to France under the UK government's 'one in, one out' immigration policy, a bilateral agreement between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. The scheme, initiated in July, allows France to accept asylum seekers who crossed to the UK without familial ties there, while the UK grants asylum to an equal number from France. Judges Mr Justice Fordham and Mr Justice Johnson dismissed claims from migrants, anonymized as CES, CSG, TAN, LOU, and LYD, stating there was no evidence they faced a 'real risk of immediate harm' or human rights violations if returned to France. Despite these rulings, the policy has faced criticism, especially after reports of a deported migrant returning to the UK via small boat, raising questions about its effectiveness. The court decisions emphasized the strong public interest in maintaining the scheme and indicated that migrants could continue pursuing their claims from France. These developments highlight ongoing challenges and controversies surrounding the UK's approach to managing migration under this bilateral agreement.