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A Eritrea-born individual has successfully secured a last-minute court injunction temporarily preventing his deportation to France as part of the controversial bilateral returns agreement.

The 25-year-old, who arrived in the UK through a small boat on 12 August, had been due to be sent back on Wednesday under the returns trial program finalized in July by the both nations.

In the pioneering court case targeting the arrangement, presided over at the Royal Courts of Justice, his attorneys contended that he needed further opportunity to submit documentation suggesting he could be a victim of exploitation – and that the decision to deport him had been hurried.

Advocates for the interior ministry countered that he could have applied for refugee status in the French territory and had shown no evidence as to why it was an unsuitable secure nation for him.

The government’s side additionally claimed that delaying his departure could prompt others assigned to comparable return flights to come forward with similar arguments, thereby undermining the public interest of discouraging dangerous small boat journeys.

Yet in the case, it was revealed that while the Home Secretary’s own officials had rejected his slavery claim, they had additionally confirmed in a latest document that he was entitled to the option to submit more submissions – and that they could not expect him to complete that process from France.

The revelation prompted Mr Justice Sheldon to grant a short-term injunction on the individual’s deportation, despite rejecting his claim that he would be rendered destitute in the French territory.

"This presents a serious question to be examined in relation to the trafficking claim and whether the Home Office has carried out her fact-finding obligations in a legal manner," he stated.

He also noted that should there was a plausible indication that the man had been coerced – a situation that would not specifically implicate France – it would amount to a statutory bar to removal for at least a short period.

This injunction brings up serious concerns about if further individuals scheduled for deportation trips may leverage comparable grounds to postpone or halt their transport out of the United Kingdom – or whether they are being made vulnerable to inadequate decision-making.

The man, who is not permitted to be publicly disclosed for privacy reasons, reportedly left his home country previously and entered Italy in spring last year.

Shortly later, he moved to French soil, where he was aided by aid groups among them the relief agencies, until his family member according to claims transferred $1,400 (approximately £1,024) to traffickers for his Channel crossing to the United Kingdom.

The legal proceedings, it was revealed that he informed interviewers during his initial meeting that he had not been abused and had been compensated when he worked as a manual worker in North Africa.

When asked why he had not apply for refugee status prior to coming the United Kingdom, the claimant stated that he had observed people sleeping on the public spaces in European nations and had formed the view that there was insufficient assistance offered.

Home Office representatives contended that he should have applied for asylum in the French territory since he was free from under the influence of illegal groups.

However, defense counsel, contending on his side, claimed that the UK authorities had yet to fully assessed whether her client was a target of trafficking – and that there had been insufficient review of whether returning him to France would render him destitute.

About the Bilateral Returns Deal

The 'one in, one out' program was revealed in mid-summer by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France’s head of state.

Pursuant to the agreement, the French government committed to receive migrants who had journeyed to the UK by illegal means and had their refugee applications rejected.

In return, the UK would receive a person with a legitimate case for protection who had never undertaken to travel via the waterway.

As of now, no-one has been returned through the program. The first repatriations to the French nation had been scheduled to start imminently.

During the past two weeks, a number of migrants being held in detention facilities received letters informing them that they would be placed on a commercial Air France leaving from Heathrow Airport for Paris at early on Wednesday.

However, multiple sources indicated that certain of the scheduled migrants had been notified that their departure would be postponed as additional appeals regarding their cases were submitted.

Upon being questioned by media – ahead of the High Court ruling – if the scheme was a "shambles", a government source replied "not at all".

The representative added that the authorities was "assured" in the legal basis for the trial initiative, and that they had "implemented steps to make certain it's consistent with domestic and worldwide law; like any initiative, we're equipped to answer