Key facts
- Hundreds of asylum seekers, including at least 41 age-disputed children, have disappeared after being removed to France under a UK "one in, one out" scheme.
- The "one in, one out" scheme, announced in July 2025, allows for the return of one small-boat asylum seeker to France for each one legally brought to the UK.
- Approximately 1,400 small-boat arrivals have been returned to France since September 2025, representing 4% of the 32,000 who crossed the Channel since the deal was signed.
- French authorities have contact with only 200 of the 1,400 individuals forcibly returned, with hundreds having gone underground.
- The Home Office denies unlawfully returning individuals with disputed ages, stating that all detained persons are informed of their right to legal representation.
- Independent Monitoring Boards reported that nearly a hundred children were unlawfully detained as adults for the scheme.
Hundreds of asylum seekers, including at least 41 children whose ages are disputed, have disappeared after being removed to France under the UK's "one in, one out" pilot scheme, human rights organizations have reported. The scheme, announced in July 2025 by then-prime minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, allows for the forced return of one small-boat asylum seeker to France in exchange for another asylum seeker brought legally to the UK.
The deal is due to expire on October 1, and its future remains uncertain. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is reportedly seeking its extension and expansion, but France has indicated a preference for a Europe-wide approach rather than accepting returnees alone. French politicians have suggested that only 200 of the approximately 1,400 individuals returned to France since September 2025 remain in contact with authorities, with hundreds having gone underground across Europe.
NGO representatives raised concerns about the disappearances and other issues with the scheme at a parliamentary meeting. Maddie Harris, director of the Humans For Rights Network, stated that at least 41 children had been unlawfully returned to France and their whereabouts are unknown. The Home Office has denied these claims, asserting that no one with a disputed age has been returned and that all detained individuals are informed of their right to legal representation. However, the Independent Monitoring Boards reported that nearly a hundred children were unlawfully detained as adults for the scheme, partly due to the Home Office detaining more people than could be removed.
Nihal Osman, a program coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières, described asylum seekers returning to France as being in a "deeply concerning" condition, exhibiting severe psychological symptoms. Alex Sobel, chair of parliament’s joint committee on human rights, expressed concern over the securitization of the French border and the actions of French police.