UK Ends ‘One in, One Out’ Migration Deal with France over English Channel Crossings

VoS NEWS DESK | INTERNATIONAL | 1 OCTOBER 2026

The UK Home Office has confirmed that the pilot scheme is no longer accepting new cases. Deportation flights involving people already being processed under the arrangement are expected to continue.

The agreement was introduced as part of wider cooperation between London and Paris over small-boat crossings. Under its terms, migrants who arrived in Britain through irregular Channel crossings could, in certain circumstances, be returned to France. In return, Britain accepted asylum seekers from France through legal channels, including people with family connections to the UK.

The arrangement was intended to provide an alternative to the growing number of dangerous Channel crossings, which have become a major issue for both British and French authorities.

However, the scheme remained relatively limited in scale compared with the total number of people crossing the Channel.

According to the latest figures reported by Euronews, 1,087 people were returned to France between August 2025 and June 2026, while 1,117 people were transferred to the UK under the scheme. During the same period, almost 28,000 migrants arrived in Britain by small boat.

The cost of the returns has also become an important part of the debate. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs that each return cost the British taxpayer an average of around £56,000.

France had previously indicated that it wanted a wider European approach to migration rather than continuing with an arrangement that placed much of the responsibility for Channel departures on French authorities.

French officials have argued that irregular migration across the Channel cannot be addressed solely through a bilateral UK–France arrangement and that cooperation with other European countries is also necessary.

The end of the scheme does not mean that cooperation between Britain and France on migration has stopped. Both governments continue to work together on policing smuggling networks, border security and other measures designed to prevent dangerous crossings.

The British government has also indicated that it intends to pursue other measures aimed at speeding up the removal of people who do not have a legal right to remain in the UK.

The Channel remains one of the world's busiest shipping routes, making crossings in small, overcrowded boats particularly dangerous. A number of people have died while attempting the journey.

The issue also remains closely connected to Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the European Union. UK officials have argued that the country's departure from the EU has changed the framework for cooperation on migration and border enforcement.

France has continued to call for greater European involvement in managing irregular migration and the movement of people across the continent.

The end of the pilot therefore leaves Britain and France considering alternative arrangements as they attempt to address continued Channel crossings.

VoS STRATEGIC INSIGHT

The end of the ‘one in, one out’ arrangement marks a change in the UK–France approach to Channel migration. The pilot processed only a small proportion of overall crossings, while its cost and operational limitations remained subjects of debate. Both countries continue to cooperate on migration enforcement, but the next framework for managing Channel crossings remains an important policy issue.

Source: Associated Press; Reuters; UK Home Office; French authorities.