First migrants arrive in U.K. from France under the ‘one in, one out’ policy

A boat thought to carry migrants is escorted by a vessel from the French Gendarmerie Nationale in the English Channel off Wimereux beach, France, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga, File)

LONDON — A family of three, including a small child, have become the first people sent to the U.K. by France under an agreement in which Britain returns migrants who enter the country without authorization and France sends vetted asylum-seekers.

The Home Office said Wednesday that the arrival of the family was part of “critical first steps” in the program dubbed “one in, one out.” Four people who arrived in Britain by boat from France were flown back to France in recent days as part of the arrangement.

The Home Office did not immediately release any further details about the family of three.

The agreement between the two countries, which was negotiated earlier this year and came into force last month, is aimed at deporting migrants who have crossed the English Channel by unauthorized means, such as in small boats, in exchange for those who apply in France and are approved to come into the U.K.

The British government hopes that the scheme will act as a deterrent to those considering making the dangerous journey across the English Channel.

More than 32,000 people have arrived in the U.K. on small boats so far in 2025, and the full-year number is expected to surpass last year’s 37,000. Dozens have died in recent years trying to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in overcrowded dinghies.

The British government intends to increase the number of people being sent back under the pilot agreement, which runs initially until June next year.

Unauthorized migration has been a problem for several years but has risen to the top of the political agenda in recent months. During the summer, there were a number of anti-immigrant protests outside hotels housing asylum-seekers.

The government is also looking to speed up the processing of asylum claims and reduce the number of migrants held in hotels.