UK and France in 'one in, one out' deal to cut illegal boat crossings

People arriving in the UK via small boats will be returned to France as part of what Keir Starmer called a "groundbreaking" deal, which the government hopes will make a major dent in illegal Channel crossings.

- Kiran Stacey Jessica Elgot

The prime minister and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, announced the plan yesterday at the Northwood military base at the end of a historic three-day state visit for the French president.

Under the "one in, one out" pilot, British officials will send some of those who cross the Channel back to France in return for taking asylum seekers in France who can show they have UK family connections.

The scheme remains uncertain in its scale and timing, but is nevertheless the first time such an agreement has been struck between the two countries. It is also the first time the Labour government has increased the number of safe routes through which asylum seekers are able to reach Britain.

Speaking in a joint press conference at the end of Macron's state visit, Starmer said: "There is no silver bullet here, but with a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent, we can finally turn the tables. For the very first time, migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order."

Macron also welcomed the scheme, while blaming Brexit several times for the number of irregular migrants crossing the Channel.

"Many people explained that Brexit would make it more possible to fight effectively against illegal migration," he said. "But since Brexit the UK has no illegal migration agreement with the EU... That creates an incentive to make the crossing - the precise opposite of what Brexit promised."