France, Sept. 17 -- A British court has blocked the planned removal of an Eritrean asylum seeker to France, handing Prime Minister Keir Starmer an early setback in his plan to stop small-boat crossings of the English Channel.

The 25-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, arrived in Britain on 12 August. He was due to be put on a flight to Paris on Wednesday under the "one in, one out" scheme agreed in July by Britain and France.

But on Tuesday, London's High Court granted him an interim injunction after his lawyers argued he may be a victim of trafficking.

"There is a serious issue to be tried in relation to the trafficking claim and whether or not the Secretary of State has carried out her investigatory duties in a lawfu...