The UK has received more migrants under the governmentโs flagship โone in, one outโ scheme than have been deported to France, the home secretary has acknowledged.
Since the scheme began in September last year, approximately 350 asylum seekers have arrived in the UK from France, compared with just 281 individuals removed under the reciprocal arrangement.
Shabana Mahmood explained on Tuesday that one of the early challenges of the programme was promoting the new legal route to migrants in France. โOfficials couldnโt find enough people to bring into Britain through the new route because there wasnโt enough awareness,โ she said. Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, she added: โYou have to compete with organised immigration crime to get your messages out.โ
The scheme, which allows small boat migrants to be returned to France in exchange for asylum seekers arriving from France, remains in a pilot phase, Mahmood stressed, with โrelatively small numbersโ currently involved. She also noted practical challenges, saying: โThere are practical issues around how quickly you can detain people and then get them on a plane to France. Weโve actually speeded up the removals to France while continuing to bring people in.โ
Government figures show that more than 41,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year, marking the second-highest total on record after the 2022 peak.
A spokesperson for the prime minister defended the schemeโs performance, emphasising that it is a โreciprocal dealโ and that numbers are expected to fluctuate. โAt the start of the agreement, we were sending more people to France than receiving under the safe returns route. These numbers will continue to vary,โ the spokesperson said.
While acknowledging that there is โno silver bulletโ to tackling Channel crossings, the spokesperson described the scheme as โanother tool in our armouryโ to disrupt the business model of smuggling gangs.
The update comes after French human rights ombudsman Claire Hรฉdon raised concerns over the use of certain weapons by law enforcement on beaches. In a report shared with Le Monde, Hรฉdon criticised the lack of transparency regarding French police use of rubber-ball launchers and tear gas against migrants attempting to cross the Channel, noting such weapons should not be used โwhen the sole aim of the security forces is to prevent people from boarding a boat.โ
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