Five EU countries oppose one-in, one-out migrant scheme

Times

6 hours ago

Italy, Spain and three other European countries have attacked the UK's plans for a one-in, one-out migrant returns deal with France, warning it could leave them having to take back people ­returned from Britain to the Continent.
Sir Keir Starmer and President Macron are working on an agreement that would allow Britain to send illegal migrants who cross the Channel in small boats back to France. In return Britain would accept migrants with a legitimate case for joining family in the UK.
Five EU countries, including Greece, Malta and Cyprus, have sent a letter to the European Commission objecting to the proposals. They fear that existing EU rules would allow France to deport illegal migrants they receive from the UK back to the country where they first entered the bloc.
'We take note — with a degree of ­surprise — of the reported intention of France to sign a bilateral readmission arrangement,' the letter, seen by the ­Financial Times, said. 'Such an initiative raises serious concerns … procedurally and in terms of potential implications for other member states, particularly those of first entry.'
A record number of small boats have arrived on UK shores this year
BEN STANSALL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
The objections could potentially scupper the plan, which Downing Street hoped to announce at a summit with Macron early next month. It was due to start as a pilot to see if it reduced the 'pull factor' of the UK as a destination for illegal migration.
Under the deal, a joint UK-France processing system would be set up to indentify migrants who have a valid claim for family reunification in Britain.
For each migrant relocated to Britain, an illegal migrant would be returned to locations across France, away from its northern coast. Any migrant who made a return journey to the UK would be identified through their biometric details and sent back again.
Government sources said that the pilot scheme would show 'proof of concept' and not repeat the 'mistakes' of the previous government's Rwanda scheme.
They pointed to other progress that they hope will combine to start reducing the numbers of migrants arriving on small boats after a record high of 18,518 this year, which is 42 per cent higher than this time last year.
French police are due to start implementing a law that will allow them to intercept migrant boats up to 300m into the sea within days in another move that UK ministers hope will reduce the numbers crossing.