UK and France agree to extend and amend asylum seeker returns deal until autumn

In a letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee sent on 10 June and made public yesterday, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum confirmed that the UK and France have agreed to extend their bilateral returns treaty beyond its scheduled expiry date of 11 June 2026.

The Guardian reported last month that the 'one in, one out' pilot scheme allowing the exchange of asylum seekers would be extended.

Alex Norris, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, told the Home Affairs Committee last week that the two governments had "jointly agreed to extend the UK-France Returns Treaty beyond 11 June 2026 until the Autumn."

He continued: "This extension reflects the strength of the UK–France partnership and our shared commitment to tackling illegal migration and breaking the business model of the criminal gangs that profit from dangerous Channel crossings."

According to the letter, more than 900 migrants have been removed to France under the scheme so far, while a similar number have entered the UK through the 'safe and legal' route established under the arrangement.

Norris said the Government remained committed to increasing those numbers in the coming months.

Alongside the extension, the UK and France have agreed to make what the Minister described as a "minor amendment" to the treaty. The change is intended to address cases involving individuals who were previously returned to France under the agreement but subsequently re-entered the UK through routes other than small boats.

The Minister explained: "The original Treaty was intentionally designed to only focus on returns of individuals arriving in the UK via small boats, given this is the most predominant method of illegal entry to the UK from France. If these individuals return to the UK via small boat, they have been, and will continue to be returned. However, a small number of cases have recently emerged involving individuals previously removed under the Treaty who have re-entered the UK through other clandestine routes. The UK and France have therefore agreed to amend the Treaty to ensure these cases are clearly included within scope.

"An amendment of this nature was anticipated under paragraph 1 of Article 20 of the Treaty which specified that the Parties could agree amendments to ensure the treaty continued to support its intended objectives, including consideration of the: 'impact on routes of irregular arrivals to the United Kingdom requiring the application of the Agreement to those who arrive by means other than Small Boats'. No additional practical or legal implementation measures are required as a result of this amendment."

The extension and amendment have been agreed through an exchange of letters between the two governments. Norris said the documents would be published in the UK Treaty Series as a Command Paper. Because both changes were made under provisions already contained within the treaty, they will not be subject to the parliamentary ratification process set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.

The treaty update comes alongside a broader UK-France border security partnership announced in April. Under that agreement, the UK committed £662 million over multiple years to support French efforts to prevent Channel crossings, strengthen maritime operations, and enhance intelligence sharing against smuggling networks.

In his letter, Norris said implementation of the new border security measures was already underway ahead of the summer period, when Channel crossing attempts have historically increased.