A ‘one in, one out’ migrant deal with France has come into force today as the Government aims to bring Channel crossings under control.
Under the migrant deal, which was first announced last month, migrants ineligible for asylum will be returned to France and an equal number of migrants will be brought to the UK.
Prime Minister Kier Starmer said: “This government has been fixing the foundations of the broken asylum system we inherited and today we send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France.
“This is the product of months of grown-up diplomacy delivering real results for British people as we broker deals no government has been able to achieve and strike at the heart of these vile gangs’ business model.
“The days of gimmicks and broken promises are over – we will restore order to our borders with the seriousness and competence the British people deserve.”
The aim of the migrant deal is to reduce overall crossing numbers by disincentivising would-be Channel crossers from making attempts.
However, reports suggest that as few as 50 people each week may be removed from Britain under the scheme – leading the Conservatives to label the policy a “gimmick”. This morning, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has refused to offer a figure for how many migrants will be returned, claiming that disclosing that information would aid people smugglers.
Those brought to the UK under the new migrant deal will have to make applications whilst in France and will be subject to security and documentation checks. In an interview with Politics UK, Yvette Cooper explained that information collected on migrants who fail security checks will be retained so such individuals can be identified, should they subsequently make a successful crossing.
The Home Secretary told Politics UK: “The whole point of having this one for one agreement with France that’s never been in place before means that we can return people who arrive illegally in the UK to France.
“And also then on this one-for-one transfer if people have been through legal applications, been through security checks, can come to the UK on a one-for-one basis.
“And of course, we will keep all of the evidence about any criminality, any abuse, and any breaches of security checks to make sure that that can be enforced.”
More than 25,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats in the first half of 2025 – making this year the worst since crossings began. In a statement today, shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blamed the removal of the Conservatives’ plan to remove migrants to Rwanda was to blame for the surge in arrivals: “The Rwanda removals deterrent, under which 100 per cent 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. As a result, this year so far has been the worst ever for illegal immigrants crossing the channel.”
He continued: “Only removing all illegal immigrants upon arrival will provide the necessary deterrent to stop the crossings. This is the Conservative plan, but Labour is too weak to implement it and as a result they have lost control of our borders.”
The agreement comes into force today amidst a series of protest throughout Britain at hotels where Channel migrants are being housed.
Protests have grown around hotels in Epping, Newcastle and London in recent weeks, as well as several other locations.
Concerns have been expressed by some that these protests may escalate into violence or vandalism as happened last summer following the murder of three girls in Southport by Alex Rudakubana.
