UK APPEALS HIGH COURT BLOCK ON FRANCE DEPORTATION UNDER 'ONE IN, ONE OUT' PILOT; MODERN SLAVERY CLAIM STALLS FIRST REMOVAL

The UK government will appeal a High Court injunction that halted the first deportation to France under the UK–France 'one in, one out' pilot. The case involves an Eritrean man who raised a last‑minute modern slavery claim, prompting the court to grant temporary relief. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood criticized such claims as attempts to frustrate removals, while the UK’s anti‑slavery commissioner warned that dismissing claims risks harming victims. The pilot has already faced empty flights and mounting legal and operational setbacks.