Rights Groups Pressure Airlines Over UK Deportation Scheme
Campaigners from both sides of the Channel have launched a concerted effort to halt airlines' participation in the UK's contentious "one in, one out" deportation program. In a bold move, 28 refugee and human rights non-governmental organizations have dispatched letters to four carriers—Air France, Titan Airways, AlbaStar Airlines, and Corendon Airlines—demanding an immediate cessation of what they label a "shameful involvement" in forced removals.
Allegations of Complicity in Human Rights Abuses
The correspondence accuses these airlines of direct complicity in what activists describe as "cruel and forced deportations," including instances involving victims of torture, trafficking, and modern slavery. Specifically, the letters call for a public boycott of Air France and insist that the other three carriers issue formal declarations pledging to stop facilitating Home Office deportations. This campaign underscores growing international scrutiny over the UK's immigration policies.
Recent events have intensified the controversy. On Thursday morning, dozens of asylum seekers were forcibly removed to France, despite explicit warnings that their lives could be endangered by traffickers in that country. Prior to their deportation, these individuals staged a hunger strike in protest, with detainees reporting severe distress. One Syrian man detained in the UK lamented, "This is a prison, not a detention centre. We are locked up but we have done nothing wrong." He added that fellow detainees were in such dire mental states that they were "shouting and hitting themselves against the walls and doors."
Medical and Legal Challenges Mount
Further complicating matters, another detainee claimed to be suffering from a severe medical condition requiring urgent surgery, yet Home Office sources asserted he had been deemed medically fit to fly. This incident highlights broader concerns about the welfare of those subjected to the scheme. Meanwhile, a high court legal challenge has been expedited, with 16 asylum seekers contesting the "one in, one out" policy. Their case questions whether France is adhering to its obligations under international treaties designed to protect trafficking victims.
Griff Ferris, a spokesperson for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, condemned the scheme, stating, "This deportation scheme is a sick and dehumanising way to treat people who came here to seek safety from war and persecution. These are people with hopes, dreams and loved ones, who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect."
Operational and Statistical Overview
Since its inception last September, the "one in, one out" program has resulted in the deportation of 305 individuals to France, with 367 transferred to the UK—accounting for fewer than 2% of asylum seekers who arrived via small boats. So far this year, 1,528 people have crossed the Channel, a relatively low figure attributed to adverse weather conditions. The scheme has faced operational hurdles, including two cancelled flights earlier this year due to "operational complications on the French side."
UN experts have raised alarms that the policy may violate international human rights laws, adding to the pressure on airlines and the Home Office. As the legal and ethical debates rage on, the call for airlines to withdraw from these deportations grows louder, reflecting a deepening divide over immigration enforcement strategies.
