UK and France Scrap 'One In, One Out' Migrant Deal After One Year

The 'one in, one out' migrant deal was launched by the UK and France in 2025. The goal was to reduce the number of people making dangerous small boat crossings over the English Channel. Under the arrangement, the UK could return certain migrants to France, while France would resettle a matching number of refugees from the UK.

This pilot program was a response to ongoing tensions about irregular migration and border security. Both countries hoped it would deter people smugglers and lower the risks for migrants.

On September 29, 2026, reports emerged that the deal was on the brink of collapse, with senior French officials declaring it effectively over. At that point, flights carrying migrants back to France were still operating, but the future of the agreement was already in doubt.

By September 30, 2026, French authorities confirmed they were in talks with the UK about ending the deal. The French interior ministry described the agreement as 'difficult from an operational perspective' and said it had failed to meet its goals. The deal's effectiveness was further called into question after 22 people died attempting to cross the Channel during its operation.

Later that day, both the UK and France publicly confirmed the deal was being scrapped. Britain's Home Office stated the pilot had ended, and that flights returning migrants would continue for several more weeks as the program wound down. The cost of the scheme was revealed to be £84 million, with only a small fraction of arrivals actually returned to France.

French officials indicated they now favor an EU-wide approach to migrant returns, as the bilateral agreement had not delivered the desired results.

The 'one in, one out' migrant agreement between the UK and France is now officially over. Migrant return flights to France will continue for a short period while the deal is phased out.

Both countries are still in talks about next steps, but there is no replacement agreement yet. France is seeking broader cooperation at the European level, while the UK is assessing its options for managing Channel crossings.

It remains unclear what new measures, if any, will replace the scrapped deal. The focus is now on whether the UK and France can reach a new agreement, or if a wider EU solution will emerge. The impact on Channel crossings and future migration policy will depend heavily on these ongoing discussions.