Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any human rights impact assessments were undertaken in relation to the UK-France One In, One Out pilot scheme before, during or after its operation.
Answer
An internal assessment of the UK-France returns scheme is underway and will inform future plans to tackle illegal migration. This will be reviewed following closure of the UK-France scheme to assess impact and learning which can be taken forward. The aim of the UK’s arrangement with France is to stop small boat crossings, protect lives which are lost during these dangerous crossings, undermine the OCG business models and improve the UK’s border security. The arrangements operate under a bilateral treaty, which explicitly commits both countries to respecting the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. Individual assessments are carried out prior to removal. Case-by-case considerations are given to any claimed individual circumstances that means France would not be safe in any particular case, including any vulnerabilities. Individuals also have access to the courts to challenge removal. Any referrals from individuals who may have been victims of modern slavery are carefully considered in line with the relevant statutory and international obligations. All individuals have their cases reviewed regularly in line with standard guidance, and this includes both while detained and if any claims of being a victim of torture or of human trafficking and modern slavery are raised. Detained individuals are advised of their right to legal representation, and how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC). We do not comment on costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements. The Treaty ended on the 1 st October and operational activity will continue for the following weeks to remove those in detention back to France. As the pilot scheme winds down, learnings are being taken forward as the UK government explores innovative solutions to tackle the challenge of illegal migration.7% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The question asked whether a human rights impact assessment was carried out for the scheme. The reply does not say whether one was done. Instead, it describes human rights safeguards, such as individual pre-removal assessments and modern slavery referrals, and an internal review of the scheme framed around impact and learning. Because the answer stays general and never addresses the assessment directly, the asker would likely need to ask again for a clear yes or no and any supporting detail.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether any human rights impact assessments were undertaken in relation to the UK-France One In, One Out pilot scheme, before, during or after its operation. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never says whether any human rights impact assessment was carried out before, during or after the scheme. It offers an internal assessment of the scheme that is underway and will be reviewed after closure, but this is framed around impact and learning rather than human rights. The remaining statements describe human rights safeguards (ECHR and Refugee Convention commitments, individual pre-removal assessments, modern slavery referrals, case reviews) without addressing whether any formal human rights assessment was done. |