The UK-France "one in, one out" migrant returns deal could end next month, according to a senior French immigration official who said the scheme is set to conclude. The agreement allows some Channel migrants arriving in Britain by small boat to be returned to France in exchange for an equal number of asylum seekers being transferred legally from France to the UK.
Official claims end date pushed back to October
Reports indicate flights returning migrants to France are expected to continue for another month, but the French official claimed the programme would then come to an end. "I've been told that the end date has been pushed back to the end of October," the official reportedly said, adding that there may be only one or two more flights before the scheme ends.
"The president (Emmanuel Macron) has made it quite clear," the official said. "So that's it, it's over." The comments come despite ongoing efforts by British officials to keep the arrangement alive.
Scheme background and impact
The scheme was originally agreed between the UK and France in 2025 and came into force in August that year. Under the arrangement, eligible people who cross the Channel in small boats can be returned to France, while an equivalent number of people in France can be brought to the UK through a legal route, subject to identity, security and eligibility checks.
More than 1,000 Channel migrants have so far been returned to France under the scheme, while a similar number of asylum seekers with links to the UK have been transferred in the opposite direction. France has previously raised concerns about being left to deal with the issue alone.
French and UK positions
Laurent Nunez, France's interior minister, said earlier this year that there were signs the scheme could have a deterrent effect, with information about the returns arrangement reportedly reaching migrants considering making the Channel crossing. However, he also said France should not have to carry the burden by itself and argued that the system would be better incorporated into a wider agreement between the UK and the European Union.
"The value of this scheme is therefore clear," Mr Nunez said. "Nevertheless, we consider that France should not bear the burden alone, and that it would be better to incorporate it into an agreement between the EU and the UK."
The issue has also become more significant as Channel crossings continue despite increased enforcement efforts. More than 18,600 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, according to figures cited in the original report, representing a fall of just over 40 per cent compared with the same period last year.
People-smuggling gangs have increasingly adapted their tactics, including cramming larger numbers of migrants into fewer boats and moving launch points further along the French coast in an attempt to evade police patrols.
British officials have continued to argue that cooperation with France is important in tackling the small boat crossings, while French authorities have maintained that the wider burden should be shared across European countries. There are also divisions within the EU over the prospect of expanding the returns arrangement, with some southern European countries concerned that they could end up taking back a disproportionate number of migrants because of their position as major entry points into Europe.
British officials have not confirmed that the deal is ending and negotiations remain ongoing. With the current arrangement approaching its deadline, the coming weeks could determine whether the UK-France returns scheme is extended, replaced or allowed to come to an end.
