A new agreement will allow the UK to send back to France illegal migrants arriving by boat. The goal is to dismantle human smuggling routes and reduce dangerous crossings.

France and the UK have launched a new procedure to combat illegal migration on the English Channel. The newly signed agreement will enable Britain to return to France migrants, who with smugglers’ assistance, crossed the Channel in small boats or dinghies. For each person sent back, another person with ties to the UK—such as a family member—will be allowed to enter the country via a safe route.

This pilot project follows years of largely unsuccessful efforts to curb unwanted migration via the Channel by increasing police presence. London has transferred millions of euros to Paris to fund additional personnel and modern technology to monitor the coastline.

Target: Dismantling Smuggling Networks

“I reaffirm France’s determination to stop migration flows and save lives,”

said French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. The project’s aim is to break up smuggling networks and prevent the frequent tragedies caused by boats sinking during crossings.

Media reports suggest that around 50 people will be returned to France each week initially. At the project’s launch, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government would not disclose the total number of migrants to be returned under the Channel agreement, telling BBC Radio 4 that doing so could aid criminal gangs:

“We’re not disclosing a total number for this program.”

Die illegale Migration über den Ärmelkanal ist auf Rekordwerte gestiegen. Nun preist London das Rückführungsabkommen mit Paris als wirksames Gegenmittel. https://t.co/a3UE85wXf7

— FAZ Politik (@FAZ_Politik) August 7, 2025

Under the EU’s so-called Dublin Regulation—which states that asylum claims should generally be processed in the first EU country entered—France intends to send back to their original point of entry in the EU those migrants it receives from the UK. In the first half of this year, about 21,100 people crossed the Channel into Britain—a nearly 56% increase compared to the same period last year.

Migrants Detained

Migrants who arrived in the UK in small boats were now detained under the new Franco-British agreement in effect. They will be held in immigration centres until deportation. The UK will forward cases to France within 3 days, and France must respond within 14 days. Detainees will be informed of the process for their return to France, and preparations for each deportation will begin.

Migrants can express a desire to travel to the UK legally, but applicants must meet eligibility and suitability criteria. Those selected will undergo strict security and biometric checks, meaning only individuals approved by the UK government can enter via this new route.

With the “One In, One Out” pilot program moving into its operational stage, the UK Home Office also aims to inform migrants in northern France and other regions—who may be considering dangerous small-boat crossings—about the new agreement.

Border Force, immigration officials and Home Office staff will continue working intensively in the coming weeks to identify and detain those covered by the deal and take the necessary steps for their deportation to France.

Other deportations and immigration enforcement will continue alongside the new agreement. In its first year in office, the government returned more than 35,000 people with no legal right to remain in the UK—a 28% increase in deportations of failed asylum seekers and a 13% increase in total removals compared to the previous year. The government has also intensified its crackdown on illegal working: since July 2024, more than 9,000 raids have been carried out, leading to 6,410 arrests—a 48% and 51% rise respectively compared to the year before.