Channel Crossing for British Justice: A Betrayal of Trust

I did not come to the UK on a small boat because I was reckless, desperate or careless with my life. I came because every legal door was closed to me. And the danger I faced at home left me with no real choice. Now, however, I am staring down the barrel of a British government policy that could put me in harm’s way again. In my home country, I had a stable job helping manage an oilfield. I was not a failure and was not running towards Europe for a better salary or an easier life. I was running away from power, corruption and injustice. I had to flee because of a powerful, influential individual who targeted me. Where I am from, when someone like that decides to destroy you, there is no protection, no court you can rely on and no future. I tried many times to leave my country legally, but no other country would accept my case. The situation became urgent. Staying meant serious harm or death. I first went to France – but even there I did not feel safe. I knew the person I was running from could reach me. The power of smugglers, human trafficking networks and organised crime in France is well known to asylum seekers. I received threats and my family received threats as well. I lived in constant fear. That is why I made the most dangerous decision of my life: to cross the Channel on a small boat. After I left France to travel to the UK, my family received a call from a French number threatening to harm me. They said that they hadn’t managed to catch me while I was in France – but that if I returned there, they would get me. I risked my life because I believed in British law and justice. I believed in its long history of protecting people fleeing persecution. When I saw the UK flag on the Border Force boat, I truly believed it was salvation. I thought the suffering was over, that the long journey and years of living under threat had finally ended. I was wrong. We were not given time to rest or recover. We were taken straight into interviews that did not feel like interviews at all. No one listened to our stories or tried to understand who we were or what had happened to us. The officer barely looked at me, focusing instead on a computer screen. Randomly, a small percentage of people from each boat were sent to detention centres, while others were sent to migrant hotels. I was one of the unlucky ones – I was taken to a detention centre. It was the first time in my life I had seen a place like this, like something out of a prison drama. I was shocked. Our phones were taken away. I was locked inside with people who had criminal records. The centre was full of drugs and violence. It is extremely dangerous to put innocent people in such an environment. Our only “crime” was asking for asylum. There is no real access to legal representation. It is an unfair battle between the Home Office and people who do not even know what a solicitor is. Many detainees do not understand the process, the language or their rights. People are taken by force on to planes. Fear fills every corridor. When a peaceful protest was organised, the response was brutal. Officers were sent in with dogs and teargas. We never imagined this would happen in the UK. For people who already carry trauma, this treatment causes deep psychological damage. I am subject to the UK government’s “one in, one out” policy. This means Britain can send asylum seekers who cross by small boat back to France in return for the same number of asylum seekers in France who have not tried to enter the UK by boat. The UK government says I should return to France. But there is clear evidence of threats against me and my family. When I submitted these threats to the Home Office, I was told that the translation was not done word for word by a licenced translator. This was used as an excuse to dismiss the danger. It felt like a mockery. How can I trust a country that does not stop smugglers, that is full of smuggling networks itself, to protect me? The threats and dangers that await some migrants facing deportation to France have been documented. This UK-France deal is presented as a solution, but it is not. It benefits France, which has received £800m since 2015 from the UK to prevent asylum seekers from coming over. It damages the UK, undermining its reputation for fairness. What has actually changed since the deal came into effect? More than 16,000 people have crossed the Channel since people were first detained for “one in, one out” on 6 August 2025. Until last week, fewer than 250 people had been returned to France. The vast majority are stuck in hotels or detention centres. Smugglers are still operating. Crossings have not stopped. France is happy. The UK has gained nothing, except shame and suffering inflicted on a small group of unlucky people. There are always alternatives. There are right ways to address this issue: safe and legal routes, fair asylum processing and real cooperation that targets smugglers, not victims. If France does not stop the small boats and the smuggling networks, the crossings will never stop. Punishing innocent asylum seekers will never solve this problem. The UK does not need harsher detention centres – it needs courage, honesty and leadership. The problem is smugglers and failed policies, not people like me who believed in British justice and risked everything to reach safety. The writer is an asylum seeker in the UK. As told to Diane Taylor A Home Office spokesperson said, “We cannot be clearer: migrants arriving in the United Kingdom illegally on a small boat can expect to be sent back to France. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.