I spent my life dreaming of England. If I am deported for coming here in a small boat, this is what I’m going to do

Nearly 200 people had been sent back to France under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “one in, one out” migration deal by 22 December last year. The scheme means that for every asylum seeker allowed to come to the UK from France, another person who arrived irregularly is returned there.

One of those facing removal is an Iraqi man who says he will do everything he can to return to England if he is deported. He has spent around ten weeks in a UK immigration removal centre and says the experience has been deeply upsetting. According to him, he has always admired English culture and hoped to build a safe, stable life in the UK.

Speaking from detention shortly before his planned return to France, he explained that he fled Iraq after receiving threats from a powerful political group in his home region. Fearing for his life, he escaped to Turkey and then travelled across Europe using the Balkan route. Eventually, he paid people smugglers a large sum of money to take him across the Channel in a small boat.

He admitted the journey was expensive and dangerous but said he felt he had no real alternative. He told the BBC that he chose the UK because he believed it was a country that showed compassion to people in danger. He said he had always felt drawn to English values, the language, and the way refugees are treated, which gave him hope that he could finally live without fear.

When asked whether he would try to return to the UK if he was sent back to France, he said yes without hesitation. He said he believes his skills, abilities, and strong English language would allow him to contribute to society. He also spoke emotionally about his love for English culture and even mentioned being an Arsenal football fan, saying he still dreams of celebrating success with the club one day.

He described the moment his boat crossed the Channel and he first saw the English flag as overwhelming. To him, it felt like the end of years of fear, hardship, and suffering. However, he said he never imagined that instead of safety, he would end up in a detention centre. That, he explained, felt even worse than what he had already endured.

The man also said he fears being unsafe in France. Under the one in, one out scheme, people returned there are usually given short-term accommodation for a few days and told to apply for asylum. If they do not do so, they risk being left without housing or support. Under existing European rules, some asylum seekers in France can also be sent on to other countries, such as Italy or Greece, if those were the first places they entered.

Between September and December, 193 people were returned to France under the scheme, while 195 asylum seekers were allowed to enter the UK legally from France. Despite this, at least two people who were sent back have already managed to return to the UK again, only to be removed for a second time by the Home Office.

In early January, migrants being held under this returns scheme wrote a joint letter raising serious concerns about their treatment. Around 80 people at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre near Heathrow said they felt abandoned and unfairly treated. They described severe mental distress, saying many detainees were breaking down emotionally, feeling isolated, and being punished rather than supported or cared for.

So far this year, 658 people have crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats. While asylum applications have increased by 13 per cent to just over 110,000, the number of people being returned or deported has also gone up by 11 per cent. Official figures show that more than 36,000 people were removed from the UK in the year leading up to September 2025.

At the same time, legal migration to the UK is falling, with fewer people arriving for work or study. The growing contrast between tougher enforcement and fewer legal routes has left many asylum seekers feeling trapped, uncertain, and afraid about what the future holds.