UK Begins Migrant Returns Under Landmark Deal with France Amid Rising Channel Crossings

Published: 07 August ‘2025. The English Chronicle Desk

In a significant escalation of the UK’s immigration policy, the first group of migrants have been detained under a new bilateral deportation agreement with France, marking the launch of a pilot scheme aimed at curbing illegal Channel crossings. The operation, described by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as a decisive step to “secure our borders,” saw migrants, including children, ferried into the Port of Dover by a UK Border Force vessel before being transferred to immigration removal centres.

The Home Office confirmed that these individuals—who arrived on Wednesday, the very day the treaty took effect—would be held in detention before being returned to France. According to officials, the scheme initially targets around 50 migrants a week, with expectations for that number to increase steadily by the end of the year.

Prime Minister Starmer, speaking from Downing Street, struck a stern tone as he announced the first detentions. “If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back,” he said. “When I say I will stop at nothing to secure our borders, I mean it.”

The deal with France—hailed by both governments as a “ground-breaking” treaty—permits British authorities to detain individuals arriving by small boat and initiate their removal back across the Channel. In return, Britain has agreed to accept a similar number of asylum seekers from France who have family links in the UK, under what’s being described as a “one-in, one-out” arrangement.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper reinforced the government’s messaging, stating: “The first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil and will now be held in detention until they can be returned to France. This sends a clear message to anyone considering making the dangerous journey via organised crime gangs: it’s a waste of your money, and it could cost you your life.”

The move comes amid a series of broader policy shifts within the Home Office and a sharp increase in small boat crossings, which have already reached a record 25,000 for the year so far. The surge in arrivals has stoked public frustration, with continued protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers and growing political pressure on the government to act.

To strengthen enforcement, ministers earlier this year proposed new powers allowing Border Force to compel migrants to hand over mobile phones and electronic devices upon arrival. The controversial measure, part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, seeks to reverse a High Court ruling which declared the Home Office’s prior phone seizure policy unlawful. The court had determined that blanket confiscations lacked parliamentary authority and severely impacted migrants’ ability to communicate with loved ones or access important documents.

Although ministers have clarified that they do not intend to seize “absolutely every phone,” the policy continues to generate debate over civil liberties and due process.

As the government ramps up its crackdown on people-smuggling networks, an additional £100 million has been allocated to counter illegal migration. This comes at a time when the public’s tolerance, particularly for the use of taxpayer-funded accommodation like asylum hotels, appears to be waning. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick summed up the mood, declaring: “The public’s patience with the asylum hotels and with the whole issue of illegal migration has snapped.”

The government has also responded to calls for greater transparency in criminal reporting by urging police forces to disclose more information about the ethnicity of suspects, amid broader conversations about crime, migration, and public safety.

This intensified effort to manage migration flows marks one of the most significant UK border enforcement shifts in recent years. With France now actively partnering on returns, and with enhanced surveillance and detention powers at home, the government hopes it can not only dissuade would-be migrants but also dismantle the criminal networks profiting from their desperation.

But critics warn the plan could raise further legal and humanitarian concerns. Advocacy groups are expected to closely scrutinize how the treaty is implemented, especially as the deportations begin and more vulnerable individuals face detention under the new policy.

Whether this will ultimately stem the tide of Channel crossings remains to be seen. For now, however, the message from Westminster is clear: the era of unchecked arrivals is over.