Under a newly ratified bilateral agreement, the United Kingdom(UK) will begin returning some migrants arriving via small boats back to France within days, while simultaneously accepting an equal number of vetted asylum seekers from France under a legal route (Reuters).
Background & Implementation
The agreement the UK France “one in, one out” pilot scheme was signed last week by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, and ratified by the European Commission and key EU member states on August 4, 2025 (Reuters).
The UK interior ministry has declared itself “operationally ready”. Detentions of small boat arrivals could start as early as this week, with enforcement “expected to begin within days”(Globedge).
Key Features of the Pilot Scheme
Returns: Up to 50 migrants per week may be returned to France equivalent to approximately 2,600 a year, though officials have declined to confirm fixed numbers publicly to avoid feeding smugglers’ intelligence (Reuters).
In bound legal entries: For each return, the UK will admit one asylum seeker from France, provided they have UK family ties or come from countries with high asylum acceptance rates, such as Afghanistan, Iran, or Eritrea (The Times).
Eligibility & exclusions: Those returned after crossing illegally are barred from the legal route and will be prioritized for return if they attempt re-entry (The Guardian).
Government Goals & Strategy
Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the deal as a diplomatic “breakthrough” intended to dismantle people smuggling networks, restore control at the border, and signal tougher but fairer immigration management (The Guardian).
Home Secretary Cooper stressed the lessons learned from the failed Rwanda deportation scheme and emphasized that the UK would robustly defend any legal challenges to these returns.
The pilot runs until June 2026, after which the two governments will assess its impact and decide whether to continue or expand the arrangement (The Times).
Critics & Caveats
Conservative figures including Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp label the deal a “gimmick” and argue it covers only about 6% of illegal arrivals, given the scale of small boat crossings, which have exceeded 25,000 so far in 2025 a roughly 49% rise over 2024 (The Sun).
Analysts say that unless at least 80 to 85% of crossings can be prevented, the smuggling business model will remain intact (The Times).
Summary Table
Feature
Detail
Scheme Name
“One in, One out” Pilot
Start Date
Ratified August 4, 2025; detentions begin within days
Returns per week
~50 migrants returned to France
In bound asylum allocation
~50 legitimate asylum seekers allowed from France
Duration
Until June 2026
Legal status
Returned migrants banned from safe route and prioritized for return
Criticism
Scale too small; ineffective deterrent
Support
Government frames it as diplomatic breakthrough and deterrent
The move is part of Labour’s “Plan for Change”, which includes £100 million in new funding for enforcement operations, expanded police action in France, and penalties for smugglers and online promoters of illegal routes .
This policy marks a major shift in UK migration strategy, emphasizing legal channels and bilateral cooperation over unilateral actions. Whether it succeeds in substantially slowing illegal crossings depends on scale, enforcement strength, and follow up actions alongside the pilot.
