UK ends “one‑in‑one‑out” migrant exchange scheme with France

The Home Office said the pilot scheme will no longer take new cases, though deportation flights for detained migrants will continue.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 30 Sep 2026 20:16:09 GMT

The United Kingdom’s Home Office announced on Wednesday that the pilot “one‑in‑one‑out” migrant exchange programme with France has been terminated, ending the processing of new cases under the arrangement.

What happened

The scheme, launched in 2025, allowed the UK to detain people who arrived by small boat and return them to France in exchange for an equivalent number of asylum seekers who entered via legal routes. Home Office data show that between August 2025 and June 2026, 1,117 asylum seekers arrived in the UK from France while 1,087 were deported back, under the three‑year pilot. The original agreement set a target of 2,600 exchanges and included a clause allowing either side to end the deal early.

What the reports add

Independent reported that the Home Office said the deal is “no longer processing new cases” but that deportation flights will continue for those already detained, and noted the tragic death of a 10‑year‑old child and two women on a boat packed with over 100 people.
France 24 added that the agreement was negotiated in 2025 by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer as part of a post‑Brexit reset in Paris‑London ties. French daily Le Monde said that Starmer’s successor, Andy Burnham, appealed to President Emmanuel Macron in September to keep the deal alive, but “Paris was in a hurry to end the cooperation on controlling migrant flows.”
France 24 also quoted Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood’s parliamentary statement that the arrangement “has not been without its challenges” and that “the numbers are still relatively small,” adding that scaling up large‑scale removals into the French system was “more operationally difficult.”
Both outlets noted that overall Channel crossings have fallen sharply in 2026, with France 24 reporting 19,135 crossings so far this year – a 42 % year‑on‑year decline.

What was said

“We continue to work with France to relentlessly tackle small‑boat crossings, and we’ve made real progress.” – Home Office statement, reported by Independent.

“The deal has not been without its challenges and the numbers are still relatively small.” – Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood, quoted by France 24.

“What has been more operationally difficult is to scale up very large numbers of removals every week into the French system.” – Shabana Mahmood, France 24.

How it came about

The exchange deal was part of a broader post‑Brexit reset in Paris‑London relations, aimed at reducing dangerous Channel crossings that have featured in recent Felo coverage, such as the five‑person boat landing in Folkestone on 21 September 2026 (Felo) and the record 781 arrivals on 24 September 2026 (Felo). Those incidents highlighted pressure on both governments to find cooperative solutions, leading to the 2025 pilot that is now being wound down.

Key facts

The UK‑France “one‑in‑one‑out” pilot was launched in 2025 and was set for three years. (france24.com)
From August 2025 to June 2026, 1,117 asylum seekers arrived in the UK from France under the scheme. (independent.co.uk)
During the same period, 1,087 people were deported from the UK to France. (independent.co.uk)
The Home Office announced the scheme will no longer process new cases but will keep deportation flights for existing detainees. (independent.co.uk)
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said the deal faced challenges and involved relatively small numbers. (france24.com)