Keir Starmer’s one-in-one-out returns agreement with France is in total chaos this morning after a second deportation flight took off without a single illegal migrant on board. A second illegal migrant was set to be on board an Air France service setting off for Paris today, however human rights lawyers once again managed to get the criminal removed ahead of takeoff.
This morning the Tories slammed the scheme as unworkable, condemning newly-appointed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood “just as ineffective as the last one”. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted: “Only yesterday I told the new Home Secretary they need to completely repeal the Human Rights Act for immigration matters, but she refused and this is the predictable result. This Labour government is too weak to control our borders. Their 16 in, one out deal would see 94% of illegal immigrants crossing the channel allowed to stay, and they are so weak and incompetent they can’t even make that happen.
“The government’s latest gimmick is a joke.”
It came after the first planned deportation flight yesterday also set off without any migrants on board.
This morning a Labour minister was left spluttering as she was unable to say when Sir Keir’s flagship migrant returns deal with France would see any migrants successfully deported.
A migrant had been set to fly out from Heathrow to Paris on Monday, but this was postponed amid protests and threats of legal action.
Lawyers are also advising many of the 90 Channel migrants who have been detained since the beginning of August ready for their enforced return to France.
Instead of a single charter flight carrying a significant group of migrants, the Home Office has opted for daily commercial flights of smaller numbers.
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones insisted that the government would not give a “running commentary” on its policy, claiming this would give people smugglers “exactly what they want”.
She told Times Radio: “I’m not going to comment or give a running commentary on what is happening here. We are doing this as soon as we can, and we’re looking to go even further here under the asylum bill.
“These deportations will be happening as soon as possible. I’m not going to be giving a running commentary on what is happening, but we are delivering for the British people on their priorities.”
“If I was to break down for you exactly a time-by-time, day-by-day movement on our returns policy, then that would be giving these abhorrent people smugglers exactly what they want.
“This would be allowing them to know what the government is doing when, and they would be able to respond to that. We are not going to be doing them any favours.”
This morning political commentator Andrew Neil said the delay was “no surprise”, and that Sir Keir had brought the chaos upon himself.
The former BBC political host blasted: “Keir Starmer was part of the lawfare movement which elevated rule by lawyers and the courts above rule by elected politicians. He is reaping what he sowed.”