PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Under the landmark UK-France migration deal, the first groups of illegal migrants who landed in the UK on small boats have been successfully returned on flights to France.
The UK-France treaty grants the UK decisive new powers to detain and rapidly remove individuals who enter illegally via small boats, blocking access to the UK asylum system.
Over the past week, two group flights saw 19 individuals returned to France, following the successful returns of an additional 7 individuals in the last month. The second group flight arrived in France Thursday before continuing its journey to Eastern Europe as part of the government's regular schedule of returns flights.
Further flights to France under this pilot scheme are scheduled to take place over the coming days and weeks, the UK Home Office said.
In addition, the UK government continues to work with France to operate a tightly controlled legal route for an equal number of eligible migrants to come to the UK, subject to rigorous security checks. Nine arrivals entered the UK this week through this route.
This pilot scheme will continue to be ramped up, with both countries having committed to continuously improving this process.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said, 'We must put an end to these dangerous crossings which put lives at risk and money in the pockets of criminal gangs'.
The UK Home Office said enforcement activity continues to be ramped up, with the National Crime Agency carrying out more than 350 disruptions against people-smuggling networks last year - a 40 percent increase on the previous year.
More than 35,000 individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK have been returned, with asylum-related returns up 28 percent year-on-year.
The Home Office is now issuing more than 31,000 initial asylum decisions every quarter - triple the average under the previous government.
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