Migrants have been pulled off the first deportation flights to France because of outstanding human rights claims, reports The Times.
Lawyers acting on behalf of several migrants due to be among the first to be removed under the one-in, one-out returns deal revealed that their removal had been delayed after submitting last-minute legal challenges.
The Home Office had booked a small number of seats on Air France passenger flights from Heathrow to Paris each day this week for migrant deportations. However, The Times has been told that no migrants were removed on Monday’s flight.
A claim submitted by one of the migrants who was due to be removed on a flight from Heathrow to Paris on Tuesday argued that their experience of being tortured and trafficked should prevent them from being returned to France.
Their deportation has been deferred while the Home Office considers its response. It is likely that the Home Office will refuse the claim but it is understood that officials have asked for more time to consider the case.
Legal sources said that similar human rights claims have delayed the removal of several other migrants who were due to be deported to France under the one-in, one-out migrant returns deal this week.
France has said that it will accept only “a few individuals” this week under the deal and warned it could terminate the treaty at any moment.
Read more of this report from The Times.