Migrants to be sent back from UK to France imminently under newly agreed terms
The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has launched a new initiative in partnership with France to address the issue of small boat migrant arrivals. Known as the "one in, one out" pilot scheme, this treaty aims to reduce illegal migration and dismantle people-smuggling networks [2][4].
The key aspects of this scheme include immediate detention and return of migrants deemed inadmissible under the scheme, a balance between migrant numbers through legal entry for those who meet strict eligibility checks, and a deterrence strategy to convey that illegal Channel crossings will no longer lead to settled residence in the UK [2][4].
Initially, returns are projected to be around 50 people per week, with this number expected to grow during the pilot, which lasts until June 2026. Immigration Enforcement and Border Force have prepared operational strategies and detention capacity to support this [3][5].
The UK government is ready to defend the scheme robustly against legal challenges, learning from previous return schemes [1][5]. However, early criticisms suggest that a small chance that people will not be returned could still encourage some to attempt the journey, limiting near-term impact [3].
The European Commission and European Union member states have given the green light to the plan, and French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau states the new agreement has a "clear objective" to break up people-smuggling networks [2]. The deal involves France accepting the return of undocumented people arriving in Britain by small boats, in exchange for Britain accepting an equal number of legitimate asylum seekers with British family connections.
Notably, only those arriving immediately on small boats will be returned, not people already in Britain [3]. This move comes as Keir Starmer faces pressure from Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which leads national opinion polls, to stop small boats [1].
Starmer himself has pledged to "smash the gangs" of smugglers to try to reduce the number of arrivals [2]. In recent weeks in England, there have been a number of protests around hotels housing the asylum seekers who have arrived on small boats, attended by both anti-immigration and pro-immigration groups [3].
Since the pilot only started in August 2025, comprehensive data on long-term effectiveness in reducing illegal migration and people-smuggling networks is not yet available but will be continuously reviewed through June 2026 [1][5]. The number of returns per week is not specified beyond being a fraction of last year's reported arrivals.
Starmer's popularity has fallen since winning an election landslide last year, and this new initiative could potentially help regain support from those concerned about the issue of small boat migrant arrivals. The success of the "one in, one out" scheme will depend on scaling returns effectively and deterring risky crossings as its pilot phase progresses.
Allies in Europe, particularly France, have shown support for the UK's "one in, one out" pilot scheme, which targets both reducing illegal migration and dismantling people-smuggling networks across the world. The scheme, spearheaded by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aims to address the issue of small boat migrant arrivals and is expected to implement general-news policies and crime-and-justice strategies to curb illegal Channel crossings.
