More migrants arrive in UK than leave under ‘one in, one out’ scheme, home secretary confirms

• Written by: LawSentis
• January 29, 2026
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The UK has received more migrants under the government’s flagship “one in, one out” 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. “Officials couldn’t find enough people to bring into Britain through the new route because there wasn’t enough awareness,” she said. Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, she added: “You have to compete with organised immigration crime to get your messages out.”

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 “relatively small numbers” currently involved. She also noted practical challenges, saying: “There are practical issues around how quickly you can detain people and then get them on a plane to France. We’ve actually speeded up the removals to France while continuing to bring people in.”

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 scheme’s performance, emphasising that it is a “reciprocal deal” and that numbers are expected to fluctuate. “At 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,” the spokesperson said.

While acknowledging that there is “no silver bullet” to tackling Channel crossings, the spokesperson described the scheme as “another tool in our armoury” to disrupt the business model of smuggling gangs.

The update comes after French human rights ombudsman Claire Hédon raised concerns over the use of certain weapons by law enforcement on beaches. In a report shared with Le Monde, Hédon 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 “when the sole aim of the security forces is to prevent people from boarding a boat.”

At LawSentis, we provide expert guidance on UK immigration law, including asylum claims and detention issues. As an IAA-regulated firm, we support vulnerable individuals through complex immigration processes, ensuring their rights are fully protected under UK law.