The first deportation flights returning migrants from Britain to France are expected to begin next week, marking a significant moment in the implementation of the UK’s controversial “one in, one out” pilot scheme. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed this week that dozens of migrants detained in Dover last month are expected to be returned to France “imminently”.
The historic flights will be the first time France has agreed to take back migrants who crossed the Channel since the small boat crisis began in 2018. It is understood that formal removal directions have been issued to asylum seekers stating they will be deported to France within five days, with Home Office sources confirming that returns are now imminent.
Under the new UK-France Treaty, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France,” a Home Office spokesman said. “We expect the first returns to take place imminently. Protecting the UK border is our top priority. We will do whatever it takes to restore order to secure our borders.”
The groundbreaking agreement, signed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron during the latter’s state visit to the UK in July, represents what the government calls a “major deterrent” to Channel crossings. Under the pilot scheme, which will run until June 2026, Britain can return up to 50 migrants per week to France – approximately 2,600 per year if operating at full capacity.
In exchange for each migrant returned, the UK will accept one asylum seeker from France who can demonstrate legitimate family connections to Britain and has not previously attempted an illegal crossing. The reciprocal scheme aims to undermine the business model of criminal smuggling gangs whilst providing a controlled, legal route for those with genuine ties to the UK.
Mahmood, who became Home Secretary in September’s cabinet reshuffle, replacing Yvette Cooper, has taken a notably harder line on immigration enforcement. The first Muslim woman to hold one of Britain’s great offices of state, she declared last week: “These small boats crossings are utterly unacceptable and the vile people smugglers behind them are wreaking havoc on our borders.”
The scheme became operational on 6 August when the treaty was formally ratified. Within hours, the first group of migrants who crossed the Channel were detained at Western Jet Foil in Dover and transferred to immigration removal centres. Under the agreement’s terms, the Home Office must refer cases to French authorities within three days, with France expected to respond within fourteen days.
Immigration Enforcement officials have set aside dedicated space at removal centres, whilst Border Force has developed an operational strategy to identify and process groups for removal. Those detained are being briefed on the procedure through which their return to France will take place, with biometric details recorded to prevent repeat attempts.
That sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat,” former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated when the first detentions occurred.
The pilot scheme represents the culmination of what Starmer called “months of grown-up diplomacy” to address a crisis that has seen more than 30,000 people cross the Channel in small boats so far in 2025 – a significant increase from 22,440 during the same period in 2024. An average of 843 migrants have arrived in the UK per week since Labour’s election victory.
However, critics argue the scheme’s limited scope means it will barely dent the numbers. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the arrangement, stating: “This deal will mean that 94% of illegal migrants crossing the Channel will get to stay. By contrast, the Rwanda deterrent would have seen 100% of illegal migrants removed and that would have worked to deter people crossing the Channel. Keir Starmer’s failure continues.”
The agreement has also faced opposition from several European Union member states. Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus have expressed concerns that the deal could result in more migrants being sent back to southern European countries under EU asylum rules, which require returns to the first EU country of entry.
French officials have privately voiced scepticism about becoming what one unnamed source described to Le Monde as a “return hub” for migrants the UK refuses to accept. “We are putting ourselves into the hands of the British without minimal reciprocal elements,” the official said.
Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR director of the regional bureau for Europe, offered cautious support, stating: “If appropriately implemented, it could help achieve a more managed and shared approach, offering alternatives to dangerous journeys, while upholding access to asylum.
The scheme applies to any adult migrant who crosses the Channel and whose asylum claim is considered inadmissible. Under current procedures, arrivals undergo a screening interview where they register their asylum claim. The Home Office then determines whether the person may be referred to the Third Country Unit for inadmissibility action.
For those seeking to enter Britain legally under the reciprocal arrangement, applicants must submit an Expression of Interest application online from within France. They must provide passport or identity documents, undergo biometric checks, and prove they have not previously attempted an illegal crossing. Anyone returned to France will be permanently barred from the legal route.
The government has also intensified domestic enforcement measures. Since taking office, Immigration Enforcement has increased illegal working activity by 51%, with over 10,000 visits leading to 7,130 arrests. New biometric kits are being rolled out for on-the-spot checks, particularly targeting the gig economy where many undocumented migrants find employment.
Macron had called on Britain to address what France considers “migration pull factors”, suggesting it should be harder for migrants to find work without legal residential status. Starmer responded that Britain’s nationwide crackdown on illegal working would mean “the jobs migrants had been promised would no longer exist.”
The French government has committed to reviewing maritime tactics to allow greater intervention of boats in shallow waters, establishing a specialist intelligence unit in Dunkirk to speed up prosecutions of people-smugglers, and creating a new “Compagnie de Marche” of specialist enforcement officers.
Despite these measures, crossings continue at record levels. On 10 August, just days after the scheme began, Border Force brought 435 migrants ashore in a single day – the highest total since the agreement came into force. The National Crime Agency reports that whilst 300 suspected people smugglers have been arrested in five years, the criminal networks remain deeply embedded along the French coast.
The financial implications are substantial. Housing asylum seekers currently costs taxpayers over £8 million per day – nearly £3 billion annually. The think tank Policy Exchange estimates the total annual cost of the small boats crisis at approximately £3.5 billion.
As the first deportation flights prepare to take off, the government faces a critical test of whether this limited pilot can genuinely deter crossings or merely represents what critics call “a drop in the ocean”. With MPs set to question Home Secretary Mahmood in Parliament on Monday, the political stakes could not be higher.
The treaty will remain in force until June 2026, with both countries committed to reviewing and improving the process. Whether this “innovative approach”, as the government describes it, can succeed where previous attempts have failed remains to be seen. What is certain is that the eyes of Europe will be watching as the first flights depart British soil, carrying migrants back across the Channel for the first time in years.
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