Migrants and asylum seekers who cross the English Channel in inflatable boats or other small vessels from the French coast risk being detained upon arrival in the UK and returned to France days later under a new bilateral migration agreement between the two countries, which comes into effect this week.

The “one in, one out” mechanism enables the
legal transfer of irregular adult migrants and accompanied minors between London and Paris, based on reciprocity. The UK will cover the costs of transportation in both directions.

The pact allows
indirect intervention by EU member states to block the return of individuals to France if their readmission poses a risk to national interests. This provision especially benefits Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus—countries on the external border of the Schengen Area—who fear that deportees under the new agreement might end up back in their territories. The 1990 Dublin Regulation stipulates that asylum seekers must apply in the first EU country they enter.

Brussels’ approval of the bilateral deal comes with
legal and economic conditions. In its trial phase, aimed at testing fast and effective procedures for identifying and safely returning people who arrive in the UK via dangerous small-boat crossings, France reserves the right to
veto readmissions of individuals deemed threats to public order, national security, or public health. Paris may also refuse to apply the agreement if it harms the international relations of any Schengen state or triggers alerts in EU databases.

However, France
cannot block returns simply because the individual may have traveled through other EU countries before boarding a boat to England. The UK must submit a transfer request within 14 days of the migrant’s arrival, and France has 28 days to respond. Silence is considered a refusal. Unaccompanied minors are excluded from the exchange process.

The agreement is valid until
June 2026, with potential for renewal. UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who signed the deal with French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, declined to specify the number of projected exchanges. London media estimate around
50 per week during the initial phase, aiming to deter irregular crossings through the busy European strait.
Over
25,400 people were detected using the perilous maritime route toward the UK in the
first half of 2025—the highest number since such statistics began. This marks a
44% increase compared to 2024 and about
70% more than in the same period in 2023. Still, irregular migration accounts for
less than 5% of the UK’s annual net migrant population.

Immigration is currently the
second most pressing concern for Britons, surpassing public healthcare but trailing far behind the cost of living. Polls show a rise from
30% to 48% in the past year among those worried about immigration levels in their communities. The issue has become a
political battleground, especially for right-wing parties opposing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s strategy. Despite his pledge to “crush the gangs” trafficking migrants, overcrowded boats continue to reach England’s southern shores.

Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform party—currently leading in voting intention polls—links crime to asylum seekers from predominantly Muslim countries. After winning his first Westminster seat in the 2024 general election, Farage is campaigning this summer under the slogan
“Britain is Lawless”, staging protests outside hotels housing migrants and accusing police of colluding with anti-racist activists.

The Conservative Party lost
two-thirds of its seats in the same election, now holding just
121 of 650 in the House of Commons, amid voter frustration over broken promises—especially on border control. Former immigration minister and current justice spokesperson
Robert Jenrick claims, without citing specific evidence, that there’s a “growing body of proof” linking illegal migration and crime. Recent outbreaks of violence near refugee hotels have, in some cases, been tied to ongoing legal proceedings involving migrants accused of sexual assault.