London: An Indian national has become the first person to be deported to France under a new treaty between the country and the United Kingdom to curb illegal English Channel crossings on small boats.
The Indian national, whose name has not been revealed, arrived in the UK illegally in August via the English Channel onboard a small boat. He was flown out to Paris from Heathrow Airport on an Air France plane last week
Home Office sources confirmed that the deported man was an Indian national, who is expected to be offered a paid-for voluntary return to his home country once back in France. He would not be able to apply for asylum and could go on to face enforced deportation if he did not take up the voluntary scheme.
The development comes a month after the UK Home Office in August claimed that Indian nationals in detention centres had almost doubled since London's crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Britain's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the unnamed India's deportation "an important first step" in the UK government's campaign to curb illegal migration.
"The removal of small boat migrants to France has begun. I will do whatever it takes to secure our borders - and this is a vital first step," she said. "It sends a message to people crossing in small boats: if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you."
