A family of three, including a young child, has become the first group to arrive in the UK as part of an agreement between Britain and France known as the “one-in, one-out” deal. This deal aims to establish a legal pathway for asylum seekers, discouraging risky Channel crossings in small boats.
According to the terms of the agreement, the UK will welcome individuals with valid asylum claims in France who have not previously attempted the dangerous journey across the Channel. In return, France will repatriate an equal number of migrants who have crossed into Britain using unsafe vessels, creating a “one-in, one-out” arrangement. The initial phase of this pact has seen the deportation of four individuals back to France.
This initiative aligns with Keir Starmer’s strategy to dismantle the operations of criminal organizations facilitating perilous Channel crossings, which tragically led to at least 78 fatalities in 2024. The UK-France deal, which came into effect recently, enables the government to detain individuals arriving via small boats and repatriate them before they enter the asylum system.
In response to the arrival of the first group from France, a spokesperson from the Home Office emphasized the significance of the UK-France agreement as a pivotal step in combating human trafficking networks involved in illegal entry into the UK. The spokesperson reiterated the commitment to detaining and repatriating those arriving via small boats while collaborating with France to establish a secure pathway for an equivalent number of eligible migrants to enter the UK following necessary security checks.
The UK government continues to address the challenge of reducing the influx of individuals undertaking the hazardous journey to Britain through small boats. As of now, more than 32,000 people have arrived in the UK by small boat in 2025, with over 1,000 individuals arriving on a single day last Friday, following the commencement of returns to Paris under the bilateral agreement.
Ministers are optimistic that the deportations will serve as a deterrent for asylum seekers considering utilizing smugglers to reach the UK. The government plans to ramp up the repatriation efforts under the pilot agreement, which is set to run until June of the following year.