The United Kingdom will begin returning some migrants who arrive via small boats to France within days, following the ratification of a new bilateral agreement aimed at curbing illegal migration across the English Channel.
The treaty, ratified Tuesday, sets the stage for a “one in, one out” pilot scheme announced last month by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Under the deal, France will accept the return of undocumented migrants who arrive in Britain by small boats, while the UK agrees to take in a similar number of legitimate asylum seekers with family ties in Britain.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the returns would start “imminently,” focusing initially on new arrivals rather than migrants already in the UK. “The numbers will start lower and then build up,” she said in an interview with Sky News, although she declined to specify exact figures.
Government sources have previously indicated the program could see up to 50 migrants returned per week, about 2,600 annually, well below the more than 35,000 who arrived by small boats in 2024, and over 25,000 so far in 2025.
Critics argue the plan’s scale is too small to deter illegal crossings. However, Cooper defended the initiative as just one part of a broader strategy that includes tougher sanctions on people smugglers, restrictions on online advertising of illegal crossings, and measures to prevent illegal work promises often used to lure migrants.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the deal’s goal is to dismantle smuggling networks operating across Europe. “This agreement has a clear objective: to break up the people-smuggling rings exploiting vulnerable individuals,” he wrote on X.
The plan comes amid growing political pressure on Starmer’s government, particularly from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose hardline stance on immigration has gained traction in national opinion polls. Anti-immigration protests have also been held outside several hotels housing asylum seekers in England, although these have often been met with counter-demonstrations by pro-immigration groups.
The treaty had been signed last week but was not publicly disclosed until its ratification. The UK confirmed that both the European Commission and EU member states have approved the agreement, allowing implementation to begin.
Starmer has made tackling illegal migration a central priority, vowing to “smash the gangs” behind the dangerous crossings that continue to claim lives in the Channel.
Written By Rodney Mbua
