Migrants win High Court battle against one-in, one-out deal in massive blow to Mahmood scheme

By SOPHIE CHURCH - POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 12:36, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 12:50, 10 July 2026 Shabana Mahmood’s one-in, one-out deal has been thrown into chaos after migrants successfully argued their deportation was unlawful. Britain’s High Court today backed the appeal of five Channel migrants who argued the Government was breaking the law in deporting them – in a dramatic blow to the Home Secretary's plans to crackdown on illegal crossings. Claiming to be victims of trafficking, the group argued that a change in the rules giving them no recourse to challenge their deportations was illegal. This came after the Home Secretary removed the right of migrants to appeal rulings that did not find them to be victims of human trafficking. Shabana Mahmood’s one in one out deal has been thrown into chaos after migrants successfully argued their deportation was unlawful Britain’s High Court today backed the appeal of five Channel migrants who argued the Government was breaking the law in deporting them – in a dramatic blow to the Home Secretary's plans to crackdown on illegal crossings But the group’s barrister today successfully claimed that the migrants’ fundamental rights could not be sacrificed for the sake of expediency and speed of decision-making or a desire to accelerate removals’. Their successful bid to stay in Britain will now pave the way for more asylum seekers to fight their deportation under the terms of the deal. As part of the agreement with France, small boat migrants can be detained and returned to France in exchange for an equal number of people who apply through a legal route. The treaty has so far seen 921 small boat migrants deported to France, with Britain accepting 896 in return. More than 200,000 migrants have illegally crossed the Channel since records began in 2018.  But Labour backbenchers are seeking to thwart Ms Mahmood's attempts to control illegal migration - with nearly 80 MPs writing to Andy Burnham urging him to water down the reforms. In a letter to the incoming PM, they write the Home Secretary's policies mean the party is 'losing progressive voters'.