Home Office officers fell asleep on the job whereas escorting migrant again to France beneath ‘one in, one out’ scheme
Two members of a Home Office team tasked with escorting a migrant back to France under the Government’s ‘one in, one out’ scheme fell asleep on the job.
The pair dozed off while the migrant was being transported to Paris from a two immigration removal centres in Britain in November, an inspection report revealed.
There were 20 men being returned to France on a flight from Stansted airport.
They were accompanied by 58 escorts and two paramedics, said the report from Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor.
The official review said two escort staff who had been allocated to one detainee were ‘asleep at the same time’ and described it as ‘unprofessional behaviour’.
The ‘one in, one out’ scheme came into force in August to send Channel small boat migrants back to France and bring asylum seekers to the UK under the reciprocal terms of the deal.
Giving evidence to MPs last week Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood admitted the programme has ‘obviously not dented the numbers yet’.
So far 367 migrants have been brought into the UK under the reciprocal terms of the treaty and only 305 have been removed, she said.
A group of migrants being brought ashore by the Border Force catamaran, Hurricane, at Ramsgate today
Downing Street has insisted the number of those coming in and out ‘will fluctuate’.
The inspectors’ report said: ‘The treatment of detainees during the coach transfers and flight was mostly good, with most escort staff polite, friendly and respectful.
‘However, we observed some unprofessional behaviour.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood last week confirmed 367 migrants have been brought into the UK under the reciprocal terms of the ‘one in, one out’ deal and only 305 have been removed
‘This included prolonged conversations between escort staff over the heads of detainees, swearing in front of detainees, and both escort staff allocated to a detainee being asleep at the same time.’
The detainees had been transferred from Home Office immigration removal centres Brook House, near Gatwick airport, and Harmondsworth, near Heathrow airport.
The report said force was used on one detainee at Brook House ‘because he had said he would not comply with the removal’.
‘On collection, this detainee protested and refused to walk to the search area, so staff used guiding holds,’ it said, and later a waist restraint belt was also used.
‘The belt was removed quickly after take-off, after a period of compliance, when it was safe to do so.’
The report also revealed that Home Office records of three previous ‘one in, one out’ removal operations showed force had been used on eight occasions.
It also 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.
A group of migrants disembarking a Border Force vessel, Hurricane, at Ramsgate today
‘Almost no information was available to detainees on this occasion about what would happen upon and after arrival in France,’ Mr Taylor said.
‘The impact of this uncertainty on their morale was clear.’
A total of 41,472 migrants arrived in the UK in 2025 after crossing the English Channel – the second highest annual figure on record.
Up to Saturday, there have been 989 arrivals so far this year with a further unconfirmed number on Sunday and today.
