LONDON – A new migration treaty between the United Kingdom and France, ratified on August 5, will soon enable the UK to return some small boat arrivals to France. The agreement, announced in July by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, establishes a "one in, one out" pilot scheme designed to curb illegal Channel crossings. This landmark deal marks a significant shift in the UK's approach to managing undocumented migration from France.
Under the terms of the treaty, for every undocumented migrant Britain sends back to France, it will accept one asylum seeker with established family ties in the UK. This reciprocal arrangement aims to create a disincentive for illegal crossings while providing a legal route for specific asylum claims. Government sources indicate that the pilot scheme is expected to facilitate the return of approximately 50 individuals per week, totaling around 2,600 annually.
The agreement is a key component of Prime Minister Starmer's strategy to address the growing issue of small boat arrivals, which have reached record numbers. To support the initiative, the UK government has committed an additional £100 million, earmarked for bolstering enforcement efforts, including funding for up to 300 more National Crime Agency officers and advanced intelligence-gathering technology. Starmer described the treaty as a "breakthrough moment" intended to "turn the tables" on human traffickers.
However, the treaty has drawn sharp criticism regarding its potential effectiveness in significantly reducing overall immigration. As stated in a recent social media post, > "Critics voiced frustrations that it would do almost nothing to reduce immigration to the UK overall, and that the legality of migration doesn't much when everyone has been let in already." Opposition figures have highlighted that the proposed return rate equates to roughly one in every 17 illegal migrants, implying that 94 percent would still remain in the UK.
This "one in, one out" mechanism replaces the previous government's controversial Rwanda deportation plan, which the Labour government scrapped upon taking power. Despite the new treaty, Prime Minister Starmer remains under considerable political pressure to demonstrate tangible results in controlling illegal migration, particularly amidst rising support for populist anti-immigration parties like Reform UK. The success of this pilot program will be closely watched as both nations seek to manage the complex challenges of cross-Channel migration.