The UK government said its pilot deal to return some small-boat arrivals to France is costing about £56,000 for each person removed, affecting asylum seekers crossing the Channel and taxpayers funding the policy. Home secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs about 1,400 people had been sent to France since the scheme began in August 2025, while the pilot now runs into October 2026 and faces uncertainty after French interior minister Laurent Nuñez said France does not want to renew the bilateral arrangement beyond 1 October and prefers an EU-UK deal.
Diane Taylor
2026.10.01
94% relevant
This article updates the same UK-France small-boat returns arrangement by reporting that the deal is expected to expire on 1 October 2026 after 423 days, and adds details on why it is being scrapped, including France's push for a broader EU-UK arrangement and operational problems such as returnees coming back to the UK or disappearing in France.
2026.09.30
96% relevant
This article advances the same underlying story by reporting that the UK-France 'one in, one out' pilot has been scrapped for new cases after only about 1,500 returns in just over a year, with the UK saying flights will continue for existing cases and France discussing exit terms.
Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor
2026.09.30
95% relevant
This source advances the same underlying story by reporting that the pilot UK-France deal is expected to expire on 1 October after talks stalled over France's push for an EU-wide arrangement and reluctance to expand returns. It adds that more than 1,400 people have been returned to France under the scheme and that removal flights for already detained people will continue only for a few more weeks.
Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor
2026.09.15
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct story about the cost, scale, and uncertain future of the UK-France 'one in, one out' Channel returns pilot, with specific new figures and official statements.
Diane Taylor
2026.09.14
94% relevant
This updates the same UK-France 'one in, one out' returns pilot by adding evidence submitted to a French parliamentary inquiry that some people returned from the UK arrived in France with bruises, fractures, restraint injuries and mental health crises. It adds new reporting on the treatment of returnees in UK detention and during removal, alongside the scale of the scheme since August 2025.