4 d. ago Firefighters battle to prevent reignition of France’s largest wildfire as residents return home

About 1,400 firefighters have been deployed in France's southern Aude region to prevent the country's largest wildfire in decades from reigniting

Events

6 d. ago First people detained under ‘one in, one out’ deal before being sent back to France – UK politics live

Home secretary says the move ‘sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK’Keir Starmer has also issued a statement about the detention of small boat arrivals (see 9.58am) on his social media feed. He says:We have detained the first illegal migrants under our new deal before returning them to France. No gimmicks, just results.If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back.The transfers to immigration removal centres are under way as we speak, so we won’t provide operational details at this point that criminal gangs can simply use and exploit.But no-one should be in any doubt: anyone who arrives from now on is eligible for immediate detention and return.The pilot has now begun, so the first migrants who have arrived on the small boats are now in detention. We will then swiftly make the referrals to France and that process will now start to be able to return people to France.It’s the beginning of the pil...

Politics

6 d. ago First small boat migrants detained for return to France under new deal

Detentions began for those who arrived on a small boat on Wednesday - with those being held expected to be sent back within a fortnight

Economics

7 d. ago Confusion over whether migrants can use human rights ‘loophole’ to avoid return to France

The treaty contains a clause that says in order for people to be returned to France, the UK must confirm they do not have an ‘outstanding human rights claim’

Events

8 d. ago France treaty to return Channel migrants is not ‘silver bullet’, Cooper says

The Home Secretary has refused to put a figure on the number of migrants the Government hopes to exchange with France for legal asylum seekers.

Events

8 d. ago Small boat migrants will be detained for return to France 'in a matter of days'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has revealed that people who arrive in small boats will start being detained 'in a matter of days' - and will be taken into custody 'immediately on arrival'

Events

8 d. ago UK to start small boats returns to France ‘within days’ after EU gives green light

Some asylum seekers will be sent back across Channel for first time under treaty agreed with French presidentThe UK will begin detaining people who arrive on small boats and returning some to France “within days” after the EU gave the green light to a deal agreed with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.The treaty between France and the UK will allow the Home Office to return some asylum seekers back across the Channel for the first time in exchange for accepting others directly from France via a safe route. Continue reading...

Politics