Legal claims stop migrant deportations for second day

Sir Keir Starmer’s new one in, one out” deal with France was in jeopardy last night after a second deportation flight left the country without any migrants on board.

- HOLLY BANCROFT DAVID MADDOX ARCHIE MITCHELL

It was the second day in a row that the Home Office had failed to deport migrants on passenger flights intended to get the returns deal underway.

Several migrants due to be among the first removed to France under the swap deal have had their removal delayed after legal challenges, and the first legal case reached the High Court yesterday afternoon, with a detained asylum seeker arguing against his planned deportation set for today.

The Home Office has booked seats for migrants on several flights this week, with asylum seekers given directions for deportation today, when multiple flights are planned, tomorrow and Friday, The Independent understands.

Downing Street denied that the government's return deal with France was a shambles, or that its plans had been hampered by legal action. A spokesperson for No 10 also denied that the latest postponement showed ministers were powerless in the face of the courts, adding: “As I said, we have never provided an operational running commentary on the details of the scheme."

Multiple asylum seekers are believed to have issued letters before legal action to the Home Office, detailing why they should not be removed to France, and officials have cancelled their plane tickets and deportation notices.

The issue is a massive blow to Sir Keir, who is trying to turn around a 10-point deficit behind Nigel Farage's Reform UK in the polls, with the worsening migrant crisis being a key issue.