UK Home Office spent tens of thousands to deport one migrant

The UK Home Office spent tens of thousands of pounds to charter a passenger jet to deport a single migrant to France on January 7. According to official data, the flight was originally intended to carry multiple individuals under a ‘one in, one out’ arrangement with France, but other passengers were removed for undisclosed reasons. Officials proceeded with the flight because the aircraft would otherwise have gone unused, and the remaining passenger reportedly had complex medical needs.

This incident was part of 74 charter flights commissioned by the Home Office over a 12-month period, which cost taxpayers a total of £13.8 million. These flights transported 2,835 people, resulting in an average cost of approximately £186,000 per flight and nearly £5,000 per person. These figures do not include the costs of security officers or removals conducted via regular commercial flights.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the expenditure, stating the system is ‘not running efficiently’ and suggesting that scheduled flights could achieve removals at a fraction of the cost. The Home Office defended its record, noting that more than 80,000 people have been returned since July 2024.