Home Office escorts fell asleep returning migrant to France

Two members of a Home Office team tasked with escorting a migrant back to France under the UK Government’s “one in, one out” scheme fell asleep on the job, inspectors have said.

The pair dozed off while the migrant was being transported from an immigration removal centre to Paris in November last year, an HM Inspectorate of Prisons report found.

There were 20 men being returned to France accompanied by 58 escorts and two paramedics as part of the operation.

Inspectors said two escort staff, who had been allocated to one detainee, were “asleep at the same time” – describing it as “unprofessional behaviour”.

The UK Government’s “one in, one out” deal came into force in August to send migrants who have arrived across the Channel back to France, and to bring approved asylum seekers via a safe route to the UK.

Last month, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said 281 people had been sent back while 350 people had come to the UK under the pilot scheme’s approved route.

Downing Street insisted the number of those coming in and out “will fluctuate”.

The inspectors’ report concluded the treatment of migrants during the coach transfers and flight was “mostly good”, with most staff “polite, friendly and respectful”.

But the report highlighted issues including migrants being left without access to water for about three hours on a coach, two men being transported wearing flip-flops, and not enough use of interpreters.

“Almost no information was available to detainees on this occasion about what would happen upon and after arrival in France,” HM Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said.

“The impact of this uncertainty on their morale was clear,” he added.

A total of 41,472 migrants arrived in the UK in 2025 after crossing the English Channel – the second highest annual figure on record.

There have been 989 arrivals so far this year.