Asylum seeker returned to France under UK deal faces possible return to Syria

A 26-year-old Kurdish Syrian man who was sent back to France under the UK–France “one in, one out” asylum arrangement has had his French asylum claim rejected and been told Syria would be safe for him. The man, who arrived in the UK on a small boat and was returned to France last November, says he fled after local Kurdish authorities (the YPG) listed him for forced conscription; he also reports being separated from family by smugglers. French authorities, after lengthy interviews about his village and identity, concluded he had not shown that he would face a serious individual threat if returned to Syria.

Campaigners and legal advisers warn this is likely the first case in which a person returned from the UK under the scheme has subsequently been rejected in France and could face onward return to Syria, raising refugee-protection concerns. The case comes amid wider debate over the deterrent effect of the policy — hundreds have been removed to France and similar numbers brought from France to the UK — and prompted criticism and airline-targeted campaigns by immigration groups. The UK Home Office says it has deported over 600 people under the agreement and will not return anyone to Syria if they are at risk of persecution; France’s interior ministry has been approached for comment, as reported by The Guardian