First small boat migrants detained under 'one-in, one-out' treaty with France
The returns deal will see those who cross the Channel in small boats exchanged with France for asylum seekers in a 'controlled and legal' way.
On Thursday, the Home Office announced that the first migrants have been detained under the scheme.
The Home Office has said those who arrive in the UK on a small boat will be held in removal centres pending return.
In exchange, migrants in France can apply to come to the UK on a 'one-to-one exchange basis' – subject to strict criteria and security checks being met.
The scheme will be reviewed to tackle any issues as the scale and speed of returns increase.
Starmer previously said 'hard-headed aggressive action' was needed on all fronts to 'break' the migrant gangs' business model, secure UK borders, and show that attempting to reach the UK by small boat 'will only end in failure, detention, and return'.
The prime minister has not said how the scheme will select the individuals who will be returned to France, and the Home Office has not confirmed how many people the deal would see returned.
However, Le Monde reported that the two nations reportedly agreed to exchange 50 people per week under the treaty. Starmer did not deny the figure.
If the numbers are anything like the 50 reportedly being agreed on, the deal will result in the return of only a fraction of the 21,000 people who have made the Channel crossing so far in 2025, a record for this point in a year.
The deal will also not see the net migration figure fall on its own, but the hope is that it will serve as a deterrent for more people hoping to make the trip by boat.
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