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An Eritrea-born man has secured a urgent court block provisionally halting his deportation to the French Republic under the disputed migrant exchange agreement.

This young man, who reached in the United Kingdom through a migrant vessel on the twelfth of August, was scheduled to be sent back on Wednesday under the removal experimental initiative agreed during summer by the UK and France.

As part of the pioneering court case opposing the arrangement, considered at the Royal Courts of Justice, his legal team argued that he needed additional days to present documentation suggesting he may have been a target of exploitation – and that the ruling to remove him had been hurried.

Representatives for the UK government countered that he could have applied for asylum in the French territory and had shown insufficient evidence explaining why it was an unsuitable secure country for him.

The government’s side further stated that delaying his removal could inspire additional individuals designated to similar return flights to file claims with parallel petitions, thereby undermining the national objective of discouraging lethal illegal crossings.

Yet in the case, it emerged that even though the interior ministry’s own officials had dismissed his exploitation claim, they had also confirmed in a latest communication that he retained the opportunity to make additional evidence – and that they could not require him to do so while in French soil.

The development influenced the presiding judge to issue a temporary block on the individual’s removal, notwithstanding dismissing his claim that he would be made homeless in France.

"There is a significant matter to be tried in regard to the slavery case and if the Secretary of State has conducted her fact-finding duties in a lawful fashion," commented.

The judge also observed that should there was a credible indication that the claimant had been coerced – a situation that did not necessarily involve French territory – it would represent a statutory obstacle to deportation for at least a limited period.

This court order raises significant issues about whether other individuals scheduled for deportation flights may use identical grounds to postpone or prevent their departure out of the UK – or if they are being subjected to rushed procedures.

This man, who cannot be identified for privacy purposes, reportedly left Ethiopia two years ago and arrived the Italian Republic in April 2025.

Shortly later, he relocated to French soil, where he was aided by charities such as the humanitarian organizations, until his family member reportedly transferred $1,400 (approximately £1,024) to traffickers for his Channel journey to the UK.

The legal hearing, it was heard that he disclosed to authorities during his screening meeting that he had not been exploited and had been compensated when he was employed as a worker in North Africa.

Upon being questioned why he had not request protection prior to coming the United Kingdom, the claimant responded that he had observed people residing on the outdoors in European nations and had formed the view that there was inadequate assistance accessible.

Government caseworkers maintained that he ought to have applied for asylum in the French territory since he was free from under the authority of smuggling gangs.

However, his legal representative, arguing on his side, claimed that the UK authorities had yet to adequately evaluated whether her the claimant was a target of exploitation – and that there had been no evaluation of whether returning him to France would cause him destitute.

About the 'One In, One Out' Scheme

This reciprocal arrangement initiative was revealed in mid-summer by the UK leader and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Under the agreement, France consented to take back individuals who had journeyed to the United Kingdom by small boat and had their asylum claims declared inadmissible.

For exchange, the UK would accept an individual with a legitimate case for protection who had not attempted to cross the waterway.

To date, not a single person has been removed via the arrangement. The initial deportations to the French nation had been planned to begin this week.

Over the recent fortnight, a number of asylum seekers accommodated in government holding sites were given letters informing them that they would be placed on a commercial flight flying from a UK airport for Paris at early this morning.

However, multiple contacts reported that some of the intended migrants had been notified that their return would be deferred as further appeals regarding their claims were being made.

When pressured by media – ahead of the High Court decision – if the initiative was a "shambles", a spokesperson source stated "not at all".

The representative continued that the government was "certain" in the legal grounds for the pilot program, and that they had "implemented steps to ensure it's compliant with domestic and international law; similar to any program, we're prepared to respond