Nigel Farage took aim at Labour over its migrant returns deal with France as deportations are yet to begin. The Reform UK leader said Sir Keir Starmer had “managed to deport more journalists than illegal migrants today”.
It comes after reporters booked tickets on an Air France flight expected to be returning asylum seekers. However, the plane departed from Heathrow today without any migrants on board. A small group of asylum seekers were also removed from a flight yesterday after a legal challenge.
In a video on X, the Reform UK leader said: “One in, one out, that’s what the Government told us. For every one that crosses the Channel we’re going to send them back and then the French will send us somebody else that’s been approved for asylum.
“Well, flights were booked on Air France. The first flight would you believe the lawyers intervened using our old friend the ECHR and no one left.
“The second flight journalists found out what the plane was, four of them, four separate media companies booked on the flight.
“And guess what? All the migrants that were due to go had legal challenges and didn’t go. We’ve sent a plane full of journalists with no migrants whatsoever.
“And even if the policy worked, one in, one out and another one in still means plus one for everyone that crosses the Channel.
“Please do not take seriously anything this Government says about dealing with illegal immigration. They’re not telling you the truth.”
The Prime Minister agreed the pilot scheme with France, which would see a small boat arrival returned in exchange for an approved asylum seeker, in July in a bid to tackle record Channel crossings.
Downing Street today denied that the Government’s return deal with France was a shambles.
The PM’s official spokesman 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.”