At least 41 people whom human rights groups say were children have become uncontactable after being returned from the UK to France under the 'one in, one out' asylum scheme, according to NGOs working with migrants. The Home Office strongly disputes the claim, saying nobody whose age was in dispute was returned to France under the agreement.
The allegation was raised at a parliamentary meeting this week as scrutiny of the UK-France arrangement intensified ahead of its scheduled expiry on 1 October. The scheme allows eligible small-boat arrivals to be forcibly returned to France in exchange for other people being admitted legally to the UK from France.
