A migrant deported to France under the UK–France returns deal has re-entered Britain on a small boat. He is being held and the Home Office intends to send him back to France again. He told a newspaper that he had been subjected to modern slavery by smugglers in northern France, describing fear, abuse and coercion. He said he would not have returned to the UK if France had felt safe, and that the smugglers were dangerous and carried weapons.

The returns pact, announced earlier this year by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, is designed to deter dangerous crossings by allowing those arriving by small boat to be detained and returned to France in exchange for an equivalent number of asylum seekers processed through safe routes. A Home Office spokesperson said the government would not tolerate border abuse and would remove those without a legal right to be in the UK; those returned who attempt to re-enter illegally will be removed.

Officials also point to broader measures. Sir Keir is due to meet Western Balkans leaders on Wednesday to discuss further steps. About 22,000 people were smuggled last year via Western Balkan routes. In 2025, small-boat arrivals in the UK have topped 36,000, nearing the 2024 total of 36,816. On Gravelines beach in northern France, groups of migrants were seen near the water and a dinghy deflated as would-be crossings continued; around 30 people were photographed boarding a second boat toward Dover, with French police on the dunes trying to deter crossings.