The British and French governments are engaging in discussions regarding a potential migrant returns agreement, in which one individual deported from the UK would result in France sending another person back. This arrangement may eventually evolve into a wider European initiative.
Officials from both countries are exploring a pilot program whereby a small number of irregular migrants who journey across the English Channel to the UK would be returned to France. British authorities indicated that the UK might accept a limited number of migrants from France, particularly those eligible for family reunification in Britain.
Despite a longstanding preference for a broader EU-wide strategy, France is open to testing such a scheme, viewing it as a deterrent to human traffickers and migrants. Prior to assuming office, Sir Keir Starmer had expressed intentions to negotiate a returns agreement with the EU, though no such deal has yet been reached.
Starmer is intent on demonstrating to voters his approach to addressing irregular migration to Britain and dismantling the operations of gangs responsible for transporting asylum seekers across the Channel in small boats. This is part of his effort to counter the electoral threat from the populist Reform UK party.
A British official confirmed early discussions about a scheme that would involve returning a small number of migrants to France, in exchange for accepting others, in line with prioritizing family reunification. A UK Home Office spokesperson stated that collaboration with France and other European nations is intensifying, with an emphasis on novel strategies to disrupt the operations of criminal smuggling gangs.
France’s interior ministry acknowledged ongoing negotiations with the UK about an agreement to take back some irregular migrants who had crossed the Channel. The ministry emphasized France’s goal to dissuade migrants and smuggling networks from attempting journeys to the UK from France and expressed support for expanding the project into a broader EU-wide initiative. The pilot scheme is based on a one-for-one principle, exchanging legal admissions for the readmission of undocumented migrants who have crossed the Channel.
The crossings through the Channel in small boats have reached record levels, with nearly 8,200 people making the journey to the UK since the start of the year, marking a 30 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. The number of such arrivals grew by 25 percent in 2024, exceeding 37,000.
EU officials highlighted potential obstacles to expanding the UK-French pilot scheme across the bloc, as many countries are resistant to accepting migrants rejected by Britain, especially as anti-immigration sentiment rises among some voters. An EU diplomat remarked that Franco-British discussions are “preliminary,” making it premature to predict the involvement of other EU member states.
Before Brexit, the UK was part of the EU’s Dublin regulation, which stipulated that asylum seekers should be processed in the country they first entered. However, compliance with these rules was not consistent among several EU nations of first entry, such as Italy.
The UK and France already maintain a comprehensive border control partnership via the Touquet agreement, under which the UK agreed to pay approximately €540 million to France between 2023 and 2026 for enhanced police monitoring of the Channel. This funding has enabled France to employ additional officers, increase patrol frequency, and advance surveillance efforts, including the use of drones.
Advocacy groups have criticized these stricter measures, arguing that they endanger individuals attempting to cross the Channel. Despite enhanced cooperation, including involving British security staff as observers at French command centers near Calais, France has historically declined certain British requests, such as joint patrolling or processing asylum requests within France on behalf of the UK.