UK-France 'one in, one out' migrant scheme scrapped

The UK government has ended the "one in, one out" migrant agreement with France, according to a recent announcement. The pilot scheme allowed the UK to repatriate some small boat arrivals while accepting a comparable number of individuals from France with valid claims to enter the UK. Since the scheme's inception over a year ago, approximately 1,500 people have been returned to France.

While the government expressed interest in continuing the agreement, it deemed the scale insufficient. Lessons learned from the pilot would be utilized to expedite the removal of small boat migrants without a right to remain in the UK. Despite the scheme's discontinuation, flights will still operate to swiftly remove such migrants from the UK in the coming weeks.

The French Interior Ministry stated that discussions are underway regarding the termination of the agreement. Small boat crossings have surged, with 19,135 people crossing the English Channel from France alone between January and September 2026, a 42% decrease compared to the same period in 2025. These crossings now constitute the primary method of illegal entry into the UK since 2020.

Most arrivals claim asylum, necessitating consideration while their applications are evaluated. Small boat arrivals comprised 40% of asylum applications between July 2025 and June 2026, averaging 67 people per boat, a significant increase from 2021. Overcrowding on these boats raises safety concerns, with at least 84 fatalities reported in 2024.

The UK government aims to "crush the gangs" responsible for these crossings to diminish the numbers. Eritrean nationals represent 18% of all arrivals from July 2025 to June 2026. In the annual figures from January 2025 to December 2025, at least 2,335 small boat migrants were identified as potential victims of human trafficking or modern slavery, a 17% decrease from the previous year.

Additionally, 4,712 individuals entered the UK illegally through other means, down from 5,614 a year prior. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged the scheme's challenges, emphasizing the difficulty in scaling up large removals to the French system. Despite this, the UN and other agencies report that some migrants avoided small boats due to perceived acceptance chances under the agreement.

As of 2026, 19,135 small boat crossings have been recorded, a 42% reduction compared to the same period in 2025.