Labour Yet to Return Channel Migrants Under UK-France Deal

Labour's 'one in, one out' migrant return deal with France, announced in July, has yet to see any Channel migrants returned despite initial promises of swift implementation. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper indicated that deportations are now expected to begin later in September but stopped short of guaranteeing returns will definitely start this month, highlighting the pilot nature of the scheme. Since the deal's ratification, over 3,500 migrants have crossed the Channel, exacerbating the record numbers arriving this year and raising doubts about the policy's effectiveness. Cooper has also introduced a crackdown on the family reunion scheme and aims to accelerate the closure of asylum hotels, while critics, including Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, have condemned Labour's border policies as weak and ineffective. The French government reportedly negotiated lower return numbers than initially hoped, and the ratio of migrants admitted versus those returned remains unclear. Overall, the deal's success metrics have not been publicly defined, fueling skepticism about Labour's ability to control migration through this agreement.