UK PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron unveil a ‘one in-one out’ migrant returns pilot to tackle illegal Channel crossings. Explore the agreement’s goals, controversies, and impact.
London, July 11, 2025 – In a landmark development aimed at curbing illegal migration across the English Channel, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have announced a “One In-One Out” migrant returns pilot programme. Revealed during a joint press conference at the end of Macron’s three-day state visit to the UK, the bilateral agreement aims to dismantle smuggling networks and restore order to asylum processing systems strained by a surge in small boat crossings.
While the scheme has been praised as a potential game-changer in cross-border migration policy, its limited scope and legal hurdles have also ignited sharp political and humanitarian debates.
Inside the ‘One In-One Out’ Migrant Returns Pilot
Under the pilot scheme, the UK will return undocumented migrants who arrive via small boats back to France. In return, the UK will accept an equivalent number of vetted asylum seekers—particularly those with credible claims, family ties, or urgent humanitarian cases—through a safe and legal channel.
Starmer emphasized that individuals arriving illegally “will be detained and returned to France in short order,” and that only those who have not attempted to enter the UK unlawfully would be considered for legal resettlement.
Although official figures have not been released, French media reports suggest the UK plans to return approximately 50 migrants per week, totaling around 2,600 per year. That number represents a small portion of the 21,117 small boat arrivals recorded in the UK in 2025 as of July 6.
Macron lauded the agreement as “a constructive and humane solution,” echoing the EU-Turkey migrant deal model. The French president said the initiative strengthens the two countries’ joint commitment to tackling criminal smuggling networks, while also ensuring legal routes for genuine asylum seekers.
Migration Surge and Policy Shift
The pilot comes amid a record-breaking spike in Channel crossings, with the UK witnessing a 56% year-on-year increase compared to the same period in 2024. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported 73 migrant deaths in the Channel in 2025 alone—the highest toll ever recorded for this route.
The move also reflects Starmer’s effort to fulfill his election promise to “smash the gangs” facilitating these dangerous journeys. The Labour government scrapped the controversial Rwanda deportation plan, branding it a “costly gimmick” inherited from the Conservatives.
Macron, in a notably sharp critique, attributed part of the migration crisis to Brexit, claiming the UK’s departure from the Dublin Regulation had severed formal EU-UK migrant return mechanisms. “Brexit was sold as a solution to border control,” he said, “but it removed the very tools needed to manage borders effectively.”
His comments have ignited fresh tensions among Brexit supporters, who dismissed the remarks as political posturing.
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One In-One Out: Mixed Political and Public Reactions
Prime Minister Starmer hailed the deal as “groundbreaking,” asserting that previous UK administrations had failed to secure such cooperation with France. He pointed to increased French beach patrols, joint intelligence operations, and a rise in arrests for illegal working in the UK as signs of a more “pragmatic” and results-oriented strategy.
However, opposition voices were quick to criticize the pilot’s limited scale.
- Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the move a “catastrophic concession”, renewing calls for the reinstatement of the Rwanda plan to deport all illegal arrivals.
- Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went further, describing the deal as a “humiliating surrender of sovereignty”, warning that the UK was re-aligning with failed EU policies.
On the humanitarian front, reactions were divided.
- Care4Calais, a migrant support NGO, condemned the plan as a “grubby trade in human lives”, warning that it risks replicating the legal flaws of the Rwanda scheme.
- The Refugee Council offered cautious support, noting that while the pilot adds a legal pathway for vulnerable asylum seekers, it must be backed by wider access to safe routes to truly reduce dangerous crossings.
One In-One Out: Legal and International Complications
The pilot faces a complex legal path, especially within EU and international refugee law frameworks.
Five southern European states—Italy, Greece, Spain, Malta, and Cyprus—have raised alarms that France could shift the burden of returned migrants onto their countries, exploiting EU first-country entry rules. In a joint letter to the European Commission, they demanded assurances that France would not create a “backdoor return chain.”
Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Convention guarantees the right of individuals to seek asylum, regardless of their method of entry—posing a potential legal challenge if the UK seeks to return claimants without due process.
According to Le Monde, French officials are privately concerned that France could become a “dumping ground” for rejected UK migrants, which could generate domestic political backlash for Macron.
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Next Steps and Strategic Impact
The scheme is expected to begin within weeks. UK officials suggest the weekly return quota may increase based on operational success and legal clearance. The UK Home Office has also launched a digital platform for asylum applications from France, designed to streamline legal entry with proper visa vetting.
Beyond migration, the agreement was announced alongside broader UK-France defense and diplomatic cooperation, including:
- A joint procurement deal for Storm Shadow missiles
- Coordination on Ukraine peacekeeping operations through a proposed “coalition of the willing”
While the “One In-One Out” migrant pilot underscores a new era of UK-France collaboration, analysts caution that its success will depend on its scalability, legal defensibility, and ability to withstand domestic political pressures.
Starmer summed up the challenge by saying: “There is no silver bullet. This is about building trust, reducing chaos, and ensuring humane but firm control over our borders.”