First flight of 2026 under UK ‘one in, one out’ asylum scheme cancelled

Detainees under scheme to return people entering UK on small boats told their plane tickets have been cancelled

The first flight of 2026 to return asylum seekers who came to the UK on small boats to France has been cancelled, the Guardian understands.

Detainees earmarked for the UK government’s “one in, one out” scheme who had tickets for a flight on Wednesday morning to Paris were told their tickets had been cancelled.

One person who had his ticket cancelled said: “I came on a boat with 80 people onboard. Ten of us were detained and 70 were taken to hotels because their asylum claims will be processed here. That’s not fair. I was delighted when our tickets were cancelled but the guards would not tell us the reason. When I asked a guard he said: ‘We can’t tell you why.’”

It is thought to be the first time a “one in, one out” Home Office deportation charter flight to Paris has been cancelled but it is not thought to be because of a legal challenge.

First flight of 2026 under UK ‘one in, one out’ asylum scheme cancelled

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