Deportation halted in blow to 'one in, one out'

An Eritrean man had his deportation to France under Labour's “one in, one out” scheme halted at the 11th hour after he won a high court challenge last night.

- Diane Taylor

The 25-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is the first to win a challenge in the high court against the removal scheme.

The first removal flights were due to take place on Monday and yesterday but were cancelled. The man was due to be on a flight to France at 9am today.

The judge, Mr Justice Sheldon, halted his removal after a decision came through during the court hearing that his claims to be a victim of trafficking required further investigation.

The ruling is a significant blow to the government because many of those due to be removed under the scheme are potential victims of trafficking. Because they have only recently arrived in the UK they have not had an opportunity to have their trafficking claim fully investigated nor to obtain expert medical and psychological reports.