UK and France agree ‘one in, one out’ pilot scheme to allow return of asylum seekers crossing the Channel by small boat

The Prime Minister announced today that a pilot scheme has been agreed with the President of France, under which migrants and asylum seekers who arrive in the UK by small boat can be returned back to France.

Image credit: WikipediaUnder the 'one in, one out' agreement, France will take back asylum seekers who have crossed into the UK by small boat and who cannot prove a family connection to the UK. In exchange for each person returned, the UK will accept one asylum seeker from France who can demonstrate a genuine family link to the UK.

Kier Starmer said: "For the very first time, migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France – in short order. In exchange for every return, a different individual will be allowed to come here via a safe route, controlled and legal, subject to strict security checks, and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally. This will show others trying to make the same journey that it will be in vain. And the jobs they've been promised in the UK will no longer exist – because of the nationwide crackdown we're delivering on illegal working – which is on a completely unprecedented scale."

In a press release, the Home Office explained: "Under the new UK-France pilot, any asylum claim submitted by a migrant who has crossed the Channel will be considered for inadmissibility and, if declared inadmissible, the Home Office will organise readmission of the individual to France. For those coming to the UK legally, an individual in France will submit an Expression of Interest application to the new route and the Home Office will make a decision once they have undergone biometric checks. Anyone who had arrived by small boat and returned to France will not be eligible for the legal route to the UK."

The Home Office added that the scheme will be tested first before being gradually ramped up.

According to a report in The Times, the pilot scheme is only expected to see up to 50 asylum seekers a week being returned to France, with the same number coming in exchange to the UK.

The agreement will be finalised and signed pending legal review and approval by the European Commission and EU Member States, as it concerns the EU's external border. If the agreement is approved, the pilot scheme is scheduled to start "within a few weeks".

The Prime Minster told a press conference that a pilot was needed to see if the scheme would work, and if it does work, it would break the model of the people smuggling gangs. He said he would not go into the details of who will be returned, as that could undermine how the scheme will operate.

In response to the announcement, Refugee Action emphasised that under the Refugee Convention, anyone arriving in the UK has the right to seek asylum. It criticised the Prime Minister for trivialising life-and-death decisions faced by people seeking safety, likening his 'one in, one out' slogan to "a nightclub door policy". Asylum Matters described the pilot scheme as "another expensive, ineffective, dangerous Rwanda-style gimmick".

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), however, said it welcomed the announcement of the pilot scheme, provided it is appropriately implemented. UNHCR said full details are not yet available, but it understands that the scheme would uphold access to asylum, as people transferred back to France will have the possibility to claim asylum there.

In a statement, Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe, noted: "Precise operational details of the scheme have yet to be disclosed, and these will be critical in determining how the agreement is implemented in practice. However, if implemented in line with international law, standards and safeguards, the pilot could offer access to protection to asylum-seekers and refugees on both sides of the Channel, with the UK and France demonstrating a shared responsibility and commitment to supporting people fleeing war, violence and persecution."

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, stressed the importance of maintaining the UK's role as a safe haven for those fleeing conflict and persecution. He welcomed greater cooperation with France but called for a comprehensive strategy involving more safe pathways to the UK, international collaboration, and measures to tackle smuggling gangs. While he acknowledged the UK-France deal as an important first step, he underlined the need for it to be implemented with fairness, respect, and dignity for those seeking asylum.

The full text of today's UK-France Leaders Declaration is available here, and the section on irregular migration is excerpted and reproduced below: