AN Eritrean migrant who launched a last minute legal bid to block his deportation has been removed from the country.
The man was deported to this morning under the “one in, one out” deal after losing a High bid to have his removal blocked.
Air France flights have taken off without a single asylum seeker on board over the last two days
The man’s last minute legal bid failed and he was deported this morning
The has confirmed the Eritrean man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was deported on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am.
It comes as hundreds of migrants have tried to cross the Channel as the deportation took place.
At least one inflatable dinghy full of young men made its way out to sea from Gravelines beach, north-east Calais, at daybreak on today.
lawyers made an 11th hour application against the Eritrean man’s removal on Wednesday afternoon, arguing that he may be a victim of trafficking.
The migrant claimed he had to flee Eritrea due to conscription and was later “stopped and kidnapped and forced to work” in Libya.
The UK’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – which identifies and assesses victims of slavery and trafficking – found there was “no reasonable grounds” to suggest he had been trafficked.
But Sonali Naik KC, the unnamed man’s counsel, said the decision had been “rushed” and there was a “serious issue to be tried” as to whether it was lawful.
She asked for “interim relief” – a temporary block on his removal
judge Mr Justice Sheldon ruled in favour of the .
He said: “The application for interim relief is refused.
“There’s no serious issue to be tried in this case and the balance of convenience plainly favours the claimant’s removal to in accordance with the decision made by the Secretary of State.”
The judge ruled that the asylum seeker could make the same trafficking case from , seeing no reason to delay his deportation.
It comes after the same judge ruled on Tuesday that in the UK after claiming he had been a victim of forced labour just hours before his flight was due to take off.
The unnamed 25-year-old man also said he had been trafficked in Libya en-route to Britain.
Mr Justice Sheldon granted interim relief after ruling more time was needed to investigate the trafficking claims.
The migrant was invited to make further representations to the NRM.
Home Secretary vowed to lodge an appeal against the decision, saying “last minute attempts to frustrate removal are intolerable.”
Britain finally managed to boot out the first Channel migrant under the one in, one out pact on Wednesday after three humiliating days where the Home Office failed to remove a single person.
The first person to be deported under the deal, a man from , was escorted onto an Air passenger jet at Heathrow and flown to .
Up to 100 asylum seekers detained by Border Force at the start of the month are due to be sent back.
Ms Mahmood said: “This is an important first step to securing our borders.
“It sends a message to people crossing in small boats: if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you.”
The man was deported on a flight to France this morning 
