Kurdish Asylum Seeker Faces Return to Syria Under UK-France 'One In, One Out' Deal

A Kurdish Syrian asylum seeker sent back to France under the UK's "one in, one out" scheme now faces being returned to Syria after authorities in Paris ruled it safe to do so, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind.

The man, 26, said he fled forced conscription by the YPG militia in Syria because he "didn't want to kill people".

The deal, announced by the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in July 2025, allows one small-boat asylum seeker to be returned to France in exchange for one person in northern France being brought legally to the UK.

The case has raised concerns about the safety of returns to Syria and the treatment of Kurdish asylum seekers.

(Source: The Guardian)