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A government source has informed the BBC that several dozen migrants have been detained and could be returned to France within weeks.
Earlier, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper declined to specify the number of migrants being detained under the UK’s new “one in, one out” deportation agreement with France, following their crossing of the English Channel.
The source indicated that the detainees represent more than five nationalities, although a precise figure was not provided.
Images released showed migrants wearing life jackets disembarking from Border Force vessels in Dover on Wednesday, the initial day of the pilot scheme’s implementation.
The Home Office also disseminated edited footage purportedly showing Border Force and Immigration Enforcement teams enacting the new scheme.
According to the Home Office, the footage depicts individuals undergoing the initial stages of the pilot process within the past 24 hours, including initial processing, biometric and security checks, and relocation to an immigration removal centre pending their return to France.
Notably, independent journalists were not invited to observe the filming.
In an interview on Thursday regarding the detentions, Cooper stated: “The transfers to immigration removal centres are underway, and we will not provide operational details that criminal gangs could exploit.”
Cooper added: “However, let there be no doubt: anyone arriving from now on is subject to immediate detention and return.”
She projected that the first migrants could be repatriated within weeks and affirmed her readiness to counter any legal challenges aimed at preventing their removal to France.
Cooper further remarked: “This marks the commencement of the pilot, which will evolve over time. We maintain that France is a safe country and will rigorously defend against any legal challenges.”
Home Office data reveals that 155 migrants arrived in the UK via the Channel on Wednesday, coinciding with the pilot scheme’s launch. The government has stated that detainees will be held in immigration removal centres until their return to France.
The BBC has obtained a copy of a poster distributed in France on Wednesday, alerting potential migrants to the new removals agreement.
The poster depicts an individual being escorted onto a plane and includes the message: “YOU NOW FACE BEING DETAINED AND RETURNED TO FRANCE IF YOU ARRIVE IN THE UK ON A SMALL BOAT,” presented in both English and French.
The pilot scheme was established as part of an accord announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron during the latter’s state visit to the UK in July.
Commenting on the initial detentions, Sir Keir asserted: “If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back. When I say I will stop at nothing to secure our borders, I mean it.”
The pilot program is slated to run for 11 months, during which the UK will accept an equivalent number of asylum seekers who have not attempted to cross the Channel and who pass security and eligibility screenings.
UK officials intend to make referrals for returns to France within three days of a migrant’s arrival by small boat, with French authorities responding within 14 days.
This exchange involves the UK admitting an approved asylum seeker from France under a safe route.
Adults and families in France can express interest in coming to the UK via an online platform established by the Home Office.
Applicants must meet suitability criteria, undergo a standard visa application process, and pass security checks.
If accepted, they will be granted three months in the UK to claim asylum or apply for a visa, and will be subject to the same rules as other asylum seekers, including restrictions on working, studying, and accessing benefits.
As of July 30, over 25,000 individuals had crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, approximately 49% higher than at the same point in 2024.
UK and international law prevent the government from returning asylum seekers to their country of origin before their claim has been assessed and rejected. However, they can be sent to safe countries willing to consider their claim.
The Conservatives argue that the new scheme will not serve as a sufficient deterrent and will not result in the return of a significant number of potential migrants.
They also contend that Labour’s agreement with the French will be less effective than the Rwanda plan proposed by the previous Conservative government.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told BBC Breakfast that scrapping the scheme that would have sent some migrants to Rwanda was a “foolish error.”
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