The United Nations has publicly called on London and Paris to halt their year-old ‘one-in, one-out’ returns pilot, under which selected small-boat arrivals are detained in the UK and flown back to France while France sends an equivalent number of cases for processing in Britain.
In a 20-page letter released on 6 February, seven UN special rapporteurs and two working-group chairs detail graphic case studies involving survivors of torture, trafficking and war who were placed in UK immigration detention before removal. They argue that hooding, restraint techniques and the detention of suicidal individuals may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, exposing both governments to breaches of the UN Convention Against Torture and the Refugee Convention.
The experts also question the scheme’s legal safeguards: selection criteria for return appear arbitrary; France may re-remove people onward, raising refoulement risks; and children have been caught up despite assurances to the contrary. The letter gives the UK and France 60 days to explain how the pilot complies with international law.
![UN experts warn UK-France ‘one-in, one-out’ asylum deal risks violating human-rights law]()
For corporate mobility managers the warning signals fresh litigation and reputational exposure. Firms moving staff between the two countries could face protests, travel disruption or reputational risk if removals flights are blocked by injunctions. If the pilot collapses, politicians may seek alternative deterrents—such as faster inadmissibility decisions—that could tighten entry checks and raise document-compliance thresholds for all travellers.
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ can help organisations and individuals stay ahead of evolving UK-France mobility rules by providing real-time visa updates, document checks and concierge application support via its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/). Leveraging these tools allows travellers to minimise compliance risks and navigate any sudden policy shifts with confidence.
HR teams should brief relocating staff on potential delays at Channel ports and prepare for a more volatile public debate on migration in the run-up to the spring Budget, where further border spending may be announced. (theguardian.com)
In a 20-page letter released on 6 February, seven UN special rapporteurs and two working-group chairs detail graphic case studies involving survivors of torture, trafficking and war who were placed in UK immigration detention before removal. They argue that hooding, restraint techniques and the detention of suicidal individuals may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, exposing both governments to breaches of the UN Convention Against Torture and the Refugee Convention.
The experts also question the scheme’s legal safeguards: selection criteria for return appear arbitrary; France may re-remove people onward, raising refoulement risks; and children have been caught up despite assurances to the contrary. The letter gives the UK and France 60 days to explain how the pilot complies with international law.
For corporate mobility managers the warning signals fresh litigation and reputational exposure. Firms moving staff between the two countries could face protests, travel disruption or reputational risk if removals flights are blocked by injunctions. If the pilot collapses, politicians may seek alternative deterrents—such as faster inadmissibility decisions—that could tighten entry checks and raise document-compliance thresholds for all travellers.
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ can help organisations and individuals stay ahead of evolving UK-France mobility rules by providing real-time visa updates, document checks and concierge application support via its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/). Leveraging these tools allows travellers to minimise compliance risks and navigate any sudden policy shifts with confidence.
HR teams should brief relocating staff on potential delays at Channel ports and prepare for a more volatile public debate on migration in the run-up to the spring Budget, where further border spending may be announced. (theguardian.com)
