A UK-French pilot scheme, dubbed “one-in, one-out,” intended to curb the number of small boats crossing the English Channel, has been implemented, with migrant detentions slated to commence in the coming days.
Under the terms of the agreement, certain individuals arriving in the UK via small boats will be detained and subsequently returned to France.
In reciprocity, the UK will accept an equivalent number of asylum seekers from France, contingent upon their not having previously attempted the Channel crossing and successfully passing security and eligibility assessments.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer characterized the plan as “a product of months of grown-up diplomacy” poised to “deliver real results.”
Conversely, Conservative Party representatives have asserted that the scheme will “make no difference whatsoever.”
The agreement, initially announced in July by Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron, remained subject to legal review by the European Commission and EU member states.
The UK government has since stated that the “EU Commission, Germany and other member states have given the green light on this innovative approach,” paving the way for the scheme’s implementation.
According to the plan, adult migrants attempting to reach the UK by crossing the Channel could be returned to France if their asylum claim is deemed inadmissible. These returns are anticipated to begin within weeks.
UK and international law stipulate that the government cannot return 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 government has not specified the exact number of migrants to be returned and accepted under the plan, but has indicated its intention to “ramp up both the pace and scale of returns over the course of the pilot scheme.”
Reports suggest that 50 individuals per week could be returned, compared to the current weekly average of over 800 people making the crossing.
Sir Keir has previously acknowledged that the pilot is not “a silver bullet” but believes it will discourage individuals from undertaking the perilous journey, following a significant surge in numbers this year.
As of July 30, more than 25,000 individuals had crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025 – approximately 49% higher than the same period in 2024.
The government is facing mounting pressure to reduce these numbers, having previously pledged to “smash the gangs” facilitating the crossings.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper lauded the agreement as “ground breaking” and an “important step towards undermining the business model of the organised crime gangs.”
“It is also right to make clear that – while the UK will always be ready to play its part alongside other countries in helping those fleeing persecution and conflict – this must be done in a controlled and managed legal way, not through dangerous, illegal, and uncontrolled routes,” she stated.
On Monday, the government announced £100m in funding for 300 National Crime Agency Officers to combat the people smugglers orchestrating the crossings.
It has also expressed its intention to address illegal working, aiming to diminish pull factors that encourage individuals to come to the UK.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp contended that the government’s deal with France would be less effective than the Rwanda plan, proposed by the previous Conservative government.
“The Rwanda removals deterrent, under which 100% of illegal arrivals would be removed, was ready to go last summer but Labour cancelled it just days before it was due to start with no proper replacement plan,” he said.
“As a result, this year so far has been the worst ever for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel.”
When the UK and France initially announced the plan in July, the charity Asylum Matters criticized the measure, arguing: “The only way to stop people from making dangerous journeys is to give them real safe routes to seek sanctuary.”