Migrant sent back to France by Britain returns on a small boat

LONDON (Reuters) -One of the first migrants sent back to France under the British government's flagship "one in, one out" deal has returned to Britain on a small boat, a minister confirmed, adding that he would be deported for a second time.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed a deal in July for Britain to deport some of the undocumented people arriving across the Channel back to France in return for accepting an equal number of asylum seekers with British family connections.

Starmer said the "ground-breaking" deal would act as a deterrent and help with his pledge to "smash the gangs" and reduce small boat arrivals.

The migrant, who was not named, told the Guardian newspaper he was a victim of modern slavery at the hands of people smugglers in Northern France.

The news of the migrant's return came as the number of arrivals so far this year comes close to surpassing the total of 36,816 for 2024, which was the second highest on record after 2022.

Some 42 have been returned so far in the pilot stages of the "one in, one out" scheme, the government said on Sunday.

The man's return 29 days after he was deported was on the front pages of British newspapers on Thursday, with the headlines of "One in, one out... and back in again" on four titles and "Le Farce" on the Daily Mail.

Junior minister Josh MacAlister said on Thursday the man would be removed again.

"This guy came across originally, shouldn't have been coming across, was smuggled across and paid a lot of money to do so, was then returned to France," he told Sky News.

"Has done the same again. He has paid again, and he will be returned again. We will make sure that happens."

(Reporting by Paul Sandle and Catarina Demony; Editing by Kate Holton)