Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the safety of people returned to France under the one in, one out policy.

One of the Government’s top priorities is to increase border security and dismantle Organised Crime Groups (OCG) who facilitate dangerous and irregular small boat journeys across the Channel. The aim of the UK’s arrangement with France is to stop small boat crossings, protect lives which are lost during these dangerous crossings, undermine the OCG business models and improve the UK’s border security. The arrangements operate under a bilateral treaty, which explicitly commits both countries to respecting the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Individual assessments are carried out prior to removal. These take into account any submissions raised by the individual as to why France is not safe in their particular circumstances. Individuals also have access to the courts to challenge removal.

The UK and France continue to work closely to ensure the pilot operates effectively.