Overview
- Shabana Mahmood said 350 asylum seekers have been admitted from France since September while 281 small‑boat arrivals were sent back, a net gain of about 69 people.
- Officials say removals have been accelerated, as France maintains the arrangement is a pilot with an expected pace of roughly 50 returns per week and a one‑year review.
- More than 10,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since the pilot began, with 41,472 crossings recorded last year.
- France’s Defender of Rights told police to stop using rubber bullets and tear gas to block departures, intensifying scrutiny of enforcement methods on northern beaches.
- At least two people returned by the UK later re‑entered by boat and were sent back again, while critics including the shadow home secretary called the results a failure.