The first migrant has been sent back to France under a one in, one out deportations deal, reports The Times.
The man had reached the UK via a small boat in August, the Home Office confirmed.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, 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.”
Mahmood has launched an urgent review of Britain’s modern slavery law to prevent it being used by migrants to block removals. She said the tactic made a “mockery of our laws”.
Mahmood said after the first deportation: “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.”
Eleanor Lyons, the independent anti-slavery commissioner, condemned Mahmood’s earlier comments about modern slavery, and disputed her claim that the system was being abused.
She warned that the home secretary’s remarks will have a “real-life impact” on victims of exploitation and could deter genuine victims of modern slavery from coming forward.
Read more of this report from The Times.