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The UK Home Secretary has disclosed that 281 migrants have been returned to France as part of a one in, one out agreement between the two countries. According to Shabana Mahmood, 350 individuals have arrived in the UK from France through the pilot scheme’s approved channels. The Home Office attributed the discrepancy between these figures to an “operational complication on the French side,” which caused a delay in a planned flight carrying migrants from the UK to France. Officials expect later flights to help “restore balance in the numbers.”
Despite acknowledging that the number of returns is “relatively small,” Mahmood defended the agreement, emphasizing the practical challenges involved in detaining migrants quickly. The government hopes the scheme will deter illegal crossings of the English Channel by making clear that those caught will be sent back to France. In 2025, over 41,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats, marking an increase of nearly 5,000 from the previous year and making it the highest total since 2022, when almost 46,000 crossings were recorded.
The deal is structured so that for each person the UK returns to France, another with a strong claim for asylum in the UK is allowed entry. Migrants who cross the Channel can be detained immediately, and within approximately two weeks, arrangements can be made for their return to France. Since the scheme began in September 2025, the numbers have varied, with France receiving 26 migrants back while the UK accepted 18 in return by October. Although the total numbers in both directions started out low, there has been a recent increase, albeit still modest in comparison to overall Channel crossings.
Mahmood further told LBC that the differences in migration figures are normal and stressed the scheme’s pilot nature, aiming to prove the viability of the cooperation model with France. She noted challenges such as swiftly detaining people and coordinating their transfer to France, along with initial difficulties in identifying eligible migrants to come to the UK due to limited awareness of the program. Mahmood added, “We’ve managed to put some of those issues right.” The Prime Minister’s spokesperson also commented, acknowledging fluctuations in numbers and pointing out that earlier in the agreement, the UK sent more people to France than it received, a trend that is expected to vary over time
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