Britain and France's "one in, one out" migrant returns deal is feared to be riddled with loopholes which could see asylum seekers staying in the UK.
Under the deal, migrants will be ineligible for deportation if they have outstanding human rights claims, other legal challenges, or claim they are under 18.
The treaty, which came into effect on Tuesday, also hands France and other EU member states a veto over which individuals are returned.
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|Britain and France's 'one in, one out' migrant returns deal is feared to be riddled with loopholes
France must give a response within 28 days for each migrant Britain intends to return.
But if the French ignore Britain's requests, the migrants must remain in the UK - even if they have arrived here illegally.
The deal's small print revealed that British taxpayers will be forced to pay for all transportation costs for migrants transferred to and from France.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary has refused to comment on exactly how many people will be sent back.
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The Home Secretary has refused to comment on exactly how many people will be sent back
Revealing such numbers would aid people-smugglers, Yvette Cooper said.
The deal has also been labelled a "temporary scheme... to test effective and swift procedures" - and it expires on June 11 next year.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip has warned of an "easy loophole" for migrants and human rights lawyers to abuse.
The deal is "completely unworkable and will be ruthlessly exploited by human rights lawyers to prevent people being returned to France", he said.
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The Home Secretary has refused to comment on exactly how many people will be sent back
The Home Office, however, has claimed any human rights appeals would be unlikely to succeed.
The department said it had a "robust litigation strategy" in place to respond to legal challenges.
It will have up to three months to clear all legal hurdles from the day a small boat migrant lands on the South Coast.
But after that, any asylum seeker will be ineligible for deportation.