More than 5,500 asylum seekers have made the treacherous journey across the English Channel since Keir Starmer first announced his deal to return those arriving by small boats, new figures show.

Through the one-in-one-out scheme, the UK can detain some of those who cross and send them back to France , in return taking an asylum seeker in France who can demonstrate they have a strong case for seeking asylum in Britain.

The deal is intended to deter people from making the decision to come to the UK in a small boat.

Migrants must be present in the UK in order to claim asylum, which has prompted many to rely on smugglers to transport them across the Channel.

Official in Calais have said claims are being rejected. If claims are denied, migrants are not allowed to re-apply, meaning many

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