A Franco-British agreement allowing for the reciprocal return of migrants between France and the UK has taken effect, the UK Home Office announced on Monday.
The agreement, finalised during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the UK in early July, aims to deter dangerous Channel crossings organised by smuggling networks. The Home Office confirmed that the “final text was signed last week” and said the European Commission approved this innovative approach to tackling illegal immigration.
The UK is prepared to detain and return the first group of migrants to France “in the coming days,” according to the Home Office. Details on the exact number of individuals to be exchanged under the agreement, which runs until June 2026, were not disclosed.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the deal as a “significant step” towards dismantling the smugglers’ business model and countering the notion that illegal entrants cannot be returned to France.
With a record of over 25,400 migrants arriving via small boats so far this year, Keir Starmer’s Labour government faces pressure to tackle the issue.
Only migrants who arrive in the UK by small boats and whose asylum claims are deemed inadmissible will be sent back to France. Conversely, the UK will accept migrants who apply via an online platform, prioritising those from nationalities frequently targeted by smugglers and those with ties to the UK. Both governments stressed that all new arrivals will undergo comprehensive security checks on either side of the Channel.
The initiative has faced criticism in northern France, where some local officials argue that the arrangement favours the UK excessively, while migrant rights groups claim it contradicts international refugee protection laws.
This effort aligns with the UK’s strategy to expedite the deportation of rejected asylum seekers amid the rising popularity of Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party and ongoing protests against welcoming asylum seekers in the country.
