First migrants detained under 'one in, one out' deal with France

Since crossing the English Channel, the first migrants were arrested under the United Kingdom's new one in, one out deportation agreement with France. Photographs from the migrants in Dover on Wednesday, the first day the pilot program came into operation, showed the migrants wearing life jackets disembarking from Border Force vessels. Those detained will be detained in immigration removal centers until they are returned to France, according to the Home Office. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, did not disclose how many migrants were being detained and said she was prepared to fight any legal challenges aimed at preventing their removal to France.

The migration to immigration removal centers are underway as we speak,

she said, so we won't have operational information at this point.

Criminal gangs can simply use and exploit, according to her.

But no one should be concerned: anyone who arrives or returns from now will be detained and returned right away.

The first migrants could be sent back within weeks,

she said.

It's the start of the pilot and it will expand as it grows,

Cooper said, but it's also clear that France is a secure place, so we'll vigorously defend against any court challenge that people explore.

The pilot scheme was announced as part of a deal signed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to the United Kingdom in July. Sir Keir said of the first detentions:

If you break the rules to enter this country, you will face being sent back. I mean it when I say that I will stop doing nothing to protect our borders. The pilot is expected to last 11 months, the United Kingdom will admit an equal number of asylum seekers who have not attempted to cross and will pass security and citizenship checks. Within three days of a migrant's arrival by small boat, UK officials expect to make referrals for return to France, with French authorities responding within 14 days. This is in exchange for a licensed asylum seeker in France to be admitted to the United Kingdom under a safe route. Adults and families in France are able to express an interest in moving to the United Kingdom through a Home Office online platform. They must comply with suitability requirements, go through a common visa application process, and pass security checks. If accepted, they will be given three months in the United Kingdom to apply for asylum or request a visa, and all asylum seekers will be subjected to the same laws as those who are not allowed to work, study, or have access to benefits. In the coming days, the Home Office is set to launch a campaign to inform migrants in northern France and elsewhere that the new treaty has been announced. More than 25,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, up nearly 49% from the same time in 2024.

According to the United Kingdom and international law, the government will not send asylum seekers back to their country of origin until their request is considered and turned down. However, they can be sent to safe countries that are able to investigate their claims. According to the Conservatives, the current scheme will not be a strong enough deterrent and will not attract large numbers of would-be migrants. Labour's agreement with the French, according to them, will be less efficient than the previous Tory government's Rwanda plan. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, told BBC Breakfast that it was a foolish mistake to cancel the scheme, which would have sent some migrants to Rwanda.