Home Office loses bid to overturn court order blocking migrant's removal

"The Home Office has been refused permission to appeal against a temporary injunction blocking an Eritrean man from being removed to France as part of the "one in, one out" agreement between the two countries. Last week, the 25-year-old, who arrived in the UK on a small boat, was due to be among the first people sent to France under the pilot scheme."

"However, in a last-minute reprieve, the High Court in London gave him at least 14 days to make representations to support his claim that he was a victim of modern slavery. The government had argued the order risked undermining the new returns policy, but the Court of Appeal refused Home Office lawyers permission to appeal against that decision. The "one in, one out" scheme was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in July."

"Under the treaty, France agreed to take back migrants who had travelled to the UK by small boat and had their asylum claim withdrawn or declared inadmissible. For each person returned to France, the UK will accept someone with a case for protection as a refugee who has not attempted to cross the Channel. Lawyers for the Home Office had argued that Mr Justice Sheldon, the High Court judge that granted the last-minute order halting the removal, had made a mistake when he did so."

The Home Office was refused permission to appeal against a temporary injunction preventing removal of a 25-year-old Eritrean man to France under the UK-France "one in, one out" pilot. The man arrived in the UK by small boat and was due to be among the first returned under the scheme. The High Court granted him at least 14 days to make representations claiming he was a victim of modern slavery. The Court of Appeal declined the Home Office's request to appeal the injunction. The treaty commits France to take back inadmissible Channel migrants while the UK accepts refugees nominated by France. Home Office lawyers argued the judge's interim order undermined the policy; the asylum seeker's lawyers defended the judge's urgent decision.

Read at www.bbc.com