London: Nineteen migrants have been sent to France on two flights, as part of the UK government’s flagship returns deal with France. British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that flights across the Channel were ‘under way and ramping up’, sending a message to migrants attempting to cross into the UK by small boats that ‘if you come here illegally, you face being detained and removed, so think twice before making that journey.’
According to Ghana News Agency, the 19 returns, including a flight earlier on Thursday, followed seven deportations last month. Mahmood emphasized the necessity to end these perilous crossings, which endanger lives and benefit criminal gangs financially.
Mahmood further commented on the effectiveness of the current approach compared to previous efforts. She stated that the last government’s Rwanda scheme took years, incurred hundreds of millions of pounds, and failed to remove a single person. In contrast, the new agreement with France has seen 26 individuals returned in a matter of weeks.
With ongoing and increasing flights to France, the UK government aims to deter illegal crossings by sending a decisive message that those entering the country unlawfully will face detention and removal procedures.