UK and France launch 'one-in, one-out' small boats pilot to curb Channel crossings
A new UK-French pilot scheme will return one migrant crossing the Channel to France for every asylum seeker received from France, aiming to reduce small boat crossings and disrupt smuggling gangs.
The UK and France have launched a pilot "one-in, one-out" scheme designed to curb small boats crossing the Channel. From this week, migrants arriving in the UK by boat may be detained and returned to France, while an equal number of asylum seekers will be transferred from France to the UK, provided they have not attempted the crossing and meet security and eligibility checks.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the agreement, announced with French President Emmanuel Macron in July, as "a product of months of grown-up diplomacy" that would deliver tangible results. However, the Conservative Party argued it would "make no difference whatsoever."
Legal approval and implementation
The pilot required approval from the European Commission and EU member states; the UK government says it has now received the green light from Brussels, Germany, and others. Returns of migrants deemed to have inadmissible asylum claims could begin within weeks.
Expected impact and criticisms
Details on the exact numbers to be returned or accepted under the pilot remain unclear. Reports suggest up to 50 migrants per week could be involved, compared with over 800 weekly crossings. Starmer acknowledged the scheme is not "a silver bullet" but hopes it will deter dangerous journeys amid a 49% rise in crossings so far this year.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper hailed the agreement as "groundbreaking" and said it would help "undermine the business model of organised crime gangs." The government also announced £100 million to fund 300 National Crime Agency officers to disrupt people-smuggling networks and plans to tackle illegal working to reduce pull factors.
Critics include the Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp, who said the scheme would be less effective than the previous government's Rwanda plan and blamed Labour for cancelling it. Refugee groups, such as Asylum Matters, argue the only solution is to provide safe, legal routes to sanctuary.
The pilot aims to balance returns and transfers to deter Channel crossings and disrupt smuggling networks.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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