UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have signed off on a fresh pilot scheme to stem the increasing number of asylum seekers taking the risky perilous trip across the English Channel in dinghies.
Unveiled on Thursday as part of Macron's three-day state visit to the UK, the "one in, one out" pilot will have Britain send a fixed number of migrants across the Channel back to France every week. In return, Britain will take in an equal number of asylum seekers from France who already have connections with Britain.
While Starmer didn't reveal the full extent of the plan, he never refuted reports that it could include up to 50 returns weekly in its first phase. More than 21,000 individuals have entered the Channel in small boats this year alone, putting more pressure on the UK government to tackle the crisis.
Addressing alongside Macron, Starmer stated, "For the first time ever, migrants who reach our shores by small boat will be detained and sent back to France in a matter of days." He referred to the international migration problem as "a crisis of law, security, humanity and fairness," and stated the plan's intention is to break the people-smuggling rings that enable the journeys.
Only those who have not sought to come into the UK illegally on small boats will qualify for legal resettlement from France, Starmer clarified. He reasserted that the UK remains devoted to taking in genuine asylum seekers, adding, "It is right we offer a haven to those in the most dire need."
Macron, in turn, stressed that France will make efforts to bring back people that are being deported from Britain back to where they first entered the EU, i.e., Spain, Italy, or Greece. "France can't be a dumping ground for individuals you don't give asylum to," Macron stated. "It's only reasonable. You would do the same."
Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, called the deal a “promising moment” in UK-France cooperation but questioned its effectiveness. “Removing 50 people a week is unlikely to disrupt the smugglers’ business model,” he said.
During Macron’s visit, the leaders also joined a meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” reaffirming support for Ukraine. The coalition announced plans to establish a new headquarters in Paris and a coordination cell in Kyiv.
