A joint pilot program between the United Kingdom and France aimed at reducing the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has been discontinued, according to statements from the UK Home Office. The arrangement, known as the "one in, one out" deal, ceased processing new cases as of this week following France’s decision not to extend the scheme.
Launched in September 2025, the trial agreement allowed the UK to detain individuals who arrived after making the perilous channel crossing and return them to France. In exchange, a comparable number of asylum seekers with established ties to the UK were transferred from France to Britain through legal channels. By the time it concluded, over 1,500 migrants had been returned to France, with just under 1,500 relocated to the UK under the agreement. Despite these figures, the scheme only accounted for less than 5 percent of the total crossings recorded since its inception.
The decision to end the program came after protracted negotiations failed to produce an extension past its planned October expiration. UK officials reportedly favored continuing the deal, but French authorities indicated reluctance to proceed without a broader European Union framework. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez previously emphasized that France should not shoulder responsibility for asylum returns alone, advocating for an EU-UK agreement to address the issue collectively.
Since the UK’s departure from the EU, it is no longer covered under the Dublin Regulation, which facilitates the return of asylum seekers to their first country of arrival in the EU. The pilot program was one of the first instances of formal cooperation between the UK and France on the migrant crossings issue following Brexit.
Critics highlight that the program deported only a fraction of those arriving in small boats. Data reveals that France rejected 628 return requests from the UK within ten months through May, primarily citing security, public health, or diplomatic concerns. Most of those returned to France came from countries including Eritrea, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Iran. Additionally, reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons noted that migrants detained at the Tinsley House immigration removal centre experienced poor conditions and anxiety during their stays.
The UK government has vowed to continue efforts to prevent small boat crossings despite the program’s termination. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has established a Small Boats Returns Taskforce aimed at accelerating removals of migrants with no legal right to remain in the UK. This unit plans to leverage existing powers to expedite deportations, working with other countries such as Albania, which have demonstrated willingness to cooperate.
The number of migrants crossing the Channel has decreased notably this year, with around 19,000 arrivals reported so far in 2026—a roughly 40 percent decline compared to the previous year. Authorities attribute this drop to intensified police patrols and enhanced surveillance in northern France. However, the risks remain high, underscored by a recent incident in which a child and two women died amid overcrowded conditions on a crossing vessel.
Small boat migration continues to be a politically sensitive and divisive issue in the UK, with public frustration over government responses contributing to social unrest and supporting the growth of hard-right political groups. Both London and Paris have expressed intent to maintain collaboration on broader measures to manage and deter illegal crossings despite the termination of the pilot scheme.