Overview

• Home Office officials say the first removals are expected imminently, with multiple outlets reporting flights could start today and additional seats booked on Air France services this week.
• It is understood fewer than 100 people will be removed in the coming days, drawn from around 100 arrivals detained in early August and held at Harmondsworth before escorted transfers.
• Messages seen by The Times name Air France flight AF1681 on Tuesday for a removal, as authorities opt for commercial services to keep costs down.
• Lawyers are preparing individual challenges for detainees who have been given removal directions and access to legal advice, which could delay or reduce departures.
• Under the reciprocal terms, a similar number of approved asylum seekers in France will be transferred to the UK via a legal route, even as Channel crossings this year exceed 31,000 and critics question the pilot’s deterrent impact.