UK halts migrant exchange with France — Channel NewsAsia
The United Kingdom has stopped accepting new cases under a pilot agreement with France on the return of migrants who illegally crossed the English Channel in small boats. The UK Home Office announced the end of the mechanism for the mutual return and admission of migrants, Channel NewsAsia reports.
How the agreement worked
The arrangement provided that the United Kingdom would return asylum seekers to France who were considered ineligible to remain in the country. In return, London was to accept the same number of migrants from France whose asylum applications were likely to be approved. Priority was given to nationals most vulnerable to the activities of smugglers, as well as people with connections in the United Kingdom.
The pilot scheme was launched in August of the previous year for one year and was later extended until October 1, 2026. The French Interior Ministry told AFP that it had been negotiating an exit from the arrangement. According to the British side, about 1,500 people were returned to France, while the United Kingdom accepted nearly the same number. The programme's initial target was 2,600 exchanges.
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Implementation problems
A representative of the British government said London would like to continue the mechanism, but the pilot project did not reach the desired scale. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged this month that implementing the agreement had been accompanied by difficulties and that the number of participants remained relatively small. According to her, increasing the number of returns to France each week proved difficult.
The agreement was intended to counter the business model of smugglers who charge large sums for dangerous crossings of the English Channel. Human rights groups criticised the mechanism, arguing that it turns people into objects of exchange. As of September 29, 2026, 19,196 people had crossed the English Channel from France, 42% fewer than during the same period of the previous year.
