The UK Home Office continues to return asylum seekers to France weeks after the controversial “one in, one out” scheme officially ended on October 1, 2026. The arrangement, announced in July 2025 by French President Emmanuel Macron and then-UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aimed to discourage small boat crossings of the English Channel by exchanging asylum seekers between the UK and northern France on a one-for-one basis.

Despite the scheme's termination, officials have reportedly chartered flights to deport groups believed to have arrived in the UK before the deal concluded, with a flight to France occurring last Wednesday and another scheduled for November 17. Home Office sources indicated that removals of remaining individuals involved in the scheme are ongoing.

Freedom of information data revealed that nearly a third of deportation flights planned under the scheme—seven out of 23—were canceled between July and September 2026, a cancellation rate more than double that seen in the first half of the year. According to Home Office figures, after a three-week lull, crossings resumed with 263 people arriving in three boats on a Thursday, followed by 671 individuals in nine boats on the subsequent Friday.

Medical Justice director Emma Ginn highlighted the continued detention of vulnerable asylum seekers awaiting forced returns to France, expressing concern over the harm caused by such detention and the risk of mistreatment in France. Many asylum seekers returned to France have reported abuse and violence from smugglers, with some describing homelessness and repeated evictions in northern French migrant camps.

Interviews with two asylum seekers, a Syrian and an Iranian, who were removed to France under the scheme but have since returned to the UK, illustrate these challenges. One said the Home Office initially re-detained him after his return, seeking a safe third country for deportation before eventually releasing him to pursue his asylum claim in the UK. The other, who experienced physical abuse by smugglers in France, returned due to fear for his safety and ongoing hardship.

Critics, including Maddie Harris of the Humans for Rights Network, have questioned the effectiveness and humanitarian impact of the scheme. Harris noted that despite substantial British taxpayer funding transferred to France, migrant camps persist along the French coast where people face violence and repeated evictions, yet crossings continue unabated. She argued that the UK government has neglected the introduction of accessible safe routes to claim asylum, which she identified as the clearest way to reduce dangerous journeys.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told a parliamentary committee that the cost of removing asylum seekers to France had reached at least £78 million. Some individuals sent back were subsequently returned to France after re-entering the UK, contributing to increased costs.

Meanwhile, asylum seekers returned to France and residing in camps such as the “Jungle” in Dunkirk remain determined to reach the UK. One camp resident reported multiple people from the scheme awaiting another chance to cross the Channel, with overcrowding in the camp limiting even basic rest space. A 17-year-old asylum seeker in the camp described ongoing attempts to board freight vehicles and acknowledged the dangers involved but emphasized a lack of alternatives.

The “one in, one out” scheme’s termination has not prevented continued migration across the Channel, and concerns persist over the treatment of asylum seekers and the policy’s overall effectiveness.