The deputy prime minister has defended the UK’s migrant returns deal with France – despite only three people being deported so far.
David Lammy, the justice secretary, said the pilot scheme, which was agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron in the summer, was “just the beginning” of the government’s efforts to send more people back to France in a bid to curb small boat crossings in the Channel.
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It comes as more than 1,000 people crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats on Friday – the day after the first migrant was deported under the “one in, one out” deal.
The latest Home Office figures show 1,072 people made the journey in 13 boats – averaging more than 82 people per boat.
It means the number of people who have made the crossing so far in 2025 now stands at 32,103 – a record for this point in a year.
Appearing on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Mr Lammy – who was previously foreign secretary before being moved in Sir Keir Starmer’s recent reshuffle – said he recognised the issue was “frustrating” for voters.
“This pilot is the first step at a negotiated deal with France for one in, one out,” he said.
“It’s the beginning, not the end of the story.”
On Friday, an Iranian man became the third migrant to be deported under the UK’s deal with France.
It follows the removal of an Eritrean man earlier on Friday after he lost a High Court bid to halt his removal, and the deportation of an Indian national on Thursday.
The treaty with France, which came into force last month, allows the UK to send back a migrant who crosses the Channel illegally in exchange for accepting the same number of migrants in France who have a valid asylum claim to come to the UK.
The government expects to receive the first asylum seekers under the scheme next week.
Challenged on whether the scheme could really act as a deterrent even if the government achieved its aim of returning 50 people a week, Mr Lammy said the deal was the “beginning”, adding: “We can build on it over the coming months and increase the numbers. That’s what I expect the home secretary will be doing.”
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The Conservatives have branded the deal with France “meagre” and have called for the Rwanda scheme, which would have sent those arriving on small boats to the East African country, to be reinstated.
On coming into power, Labour scrapped the scheme, which saw four volunteers go to the nation over two years.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the France deal would “still allow 94% of illegal channel immigrants to stay – that is obviously not a deterrent at all”.
Mr Lammy also addressed the question of whether the UK should pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, amid concern some clauses are being used to frustrate the removal of people who have come to the UK illegally.
Mr Lammy, a former lawyer, said leaving the ECHR would “undermine” the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.
However, he acknowledged there were concerns about certain articles in the convention, including Article 8, which guarantees the right to respect for private and family life, being used to thwart the removal of illegal migrants.
