Just four men who crossed the English Channel in small boats from France to the United Kingdom have been deported back to France under a migrant-swap scheme signed between the two countries in July.

The deportations, which have taken place over the past week, were carried out under a “one-in-one-out” migrant deal signed between the UK and France.

A fifth, Eritrean, man has won a High Court ruling placing a temporary block on his deportation. The Home Office was refused permission to appeal by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.

The deal, which had an initial target of exchanging 50 migrants between the UK and France each week, was designed to stem the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants from France to the UK in small boats.

This year, more than 32,000 people have made the journey. L

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