A family of three, including a small child, have become the first people to arrive in the UK under the government’s landmark “one in, one out” agreement with France, marking a critical milestone in Britain’s efforts to reform its asylum system whilst tackling illegal Channel crossings.
The Home Office confirmed the arrival as part of “critical first steps” under the pioneering scheme, which sees Britain accepting asylum seekers through legal routes in exchange for returning small boat arrivals to France. The move follows the removal of four migrants from the UK since the pilot programme began operating in earnest last week.
This is a clear message to people-smuggling gangs that illegal entry into the UK will not be tolerated,” a Home Office spokesperson said. “We will continue to detain and remove those who arrive by small boat, and we will work with France to operate a legal route for an equal number of eligible migrants to come to the UK subject to security checks.”
The arrivals come as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who took over the role from Yvette Cooper in a cabinet reshuffle earlier this month, faces mounting pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness of the controversial exchange programme. Mahmood, Britain’s first Muslim female Home Secretary, has pledged to take a tough stance on illegal immigration whilst maintaining legal pathways for genuine asylum seekers.
Under the agreement announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in July, 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. For each person returned, the UK will accept one asylum seeker from France who can demonstrate a genuine family link to the UK.
The treaty, which came into force on 6 August and will remain in effect until June 2026, allows the UK to detain and rapidly remove people who enter illegally via small boats, blocking their access to the UK asylum system. In return, Britain accepts an equal number of migrants through newly established safe and legal routes, subject to rigorous documentation, eligibility, and security checks.
The first deportations under the scheme began on 18 September with an Indian national being returned to France on a commercial flight. This was followed by an Eritrean man who lost a High Court bid to halt his removal, an Iranian male returned on Friday, and an Afghan person deported on Monday. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy hailed the returns as providing an “immediate deterrent” to people seeking to cross the Channel.
Legal challenges have already tested the scheme’s resilience. An Eritrean asylum seeker initially won a temporary injunction against his removal, though this was later overturned. The Home Office has vowed to “robustly defend” any legal challenges to removals, with officials preparing appeals to limit the time available for reconsideration of cases.
The pilot programme is expected to return up to 50 people per week to France during its initial phase, totalling roughly 2,600 per year – approximately 6% of small boat arrivals in 2024. However, critics have questioned whether such modest numbers will significantly impact the scale of Channel crossings.
The scheme operates under strict conditions. Britain must make a request to return an individual within 14 days of his or her arrival. France does not have to accept unaccompanied minors or people who pose a security threat. Additionally, anyone who has previously attempted a small boat crossing is barred from applying for the legal route to the UK.
International backing has been crucial to the agreement’s implementation. Philippe Leclerc, the UNHCR director of the regional bureau for Europe, stated: “If appropriately implemented, it could help achieve a more managed and shared approach, offering alternatives to dangerous journeys while upholding access to asylum.
However, the deal has faced opposition from several EU member states. Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus objected in a letter to the European Commission, arguing that the plan would result in migrants being sent back to them through France.
The programme comes amid a surge in Channel crossings. More than 32,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, with the total dipping below 2022’s record levels for the first time since March. French authorities report preventing more than 17,600 attempted crossings this year, though they maintain that maritime law prevents intervention once boats are in the water unless there is a threat to life.
UK-France migration cooperation dates back to the 1990s, but since 2019, the focus has been on addressing the rise in Channel crossings. A significant step was the UK-France joint declaration of March 2023, under which the UK committed €541 million (approximately £476 million) between 2023 and 2026. Funds were allocated for assets including drones, helicopters and aircraft, and for the creation of a migration centre in France.
The agreement represents a significant shift from previous Conservative government policies, including the abandoned Rwanda scheme. Unlike that controversial plan, the “one in, one out” deal ensures Britain continues to accept refugees through controlled channels whilst maintaining border security.
Migration expert Dr Matilde Rosina from Brunel University described the agreement as “a milestone in UK-France migration cooperation, and the UK’s first significant post-Brexit returns scheme with an EU country.” However, she cautioned that questions remain over its scalability given the modest return numbers, legal and logistical hurdles, and European political divides.
Critics from refugee advocacy groups have condemned the initiative. Griff Ferris of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants called it a “cruel policy targeting people who come here to seek safety” and a “grim attempt to appease the racist far right.
The Home Office has emphasised that returns to other countries and immigration enforcement work will continue alongside the treaty. In its first year in office, the government returned more than 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK – a 28% increase in returns of failed asylum seekers and a 13% increase in overall returns compared to the previous year.
As the pilot programme continues, both governments have committed to continually reviewing and improving the process and effectiveness of this innovative approach. The success of the scheme will be closely watched as Britain seeks to balance humanitarian obligations with border security concerns, whilst navigating complex European politics and domestic pressures on immigration policy.
The arrivals of this first family through legal channels, whilst others are returned to France, symbolises the government’s attempt to create what officials describe as a “controlled and managed” asylum system. Whether this approach can significantly impact the broader challenge of Channel crossings remains to be seen, with the pilot’s results likely to shape future UK-EU cooperation on migration issues.
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Image Credit:
Air France A380-800 (F-HPJA) — photo by Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0
