Nearly 50 asylum seekers deported under 'one in one out' scheme returned to UK

Nearly 50 asylum seekers who were deported from the UK under a 'one in one out' agreement with France have since returned to the UK, according to The Guardian. It is also believed that an unknown number of others have entered the UK undetected.

The 'one in one out' scheme, implemented last September, involves the UK returning individuals arriving on small boats to France. In exchange, a similar number of asylum seekers are legally transferred to the UK. The stated aim of this policy is to deter asylum seekers from making the dangerous journey across the English Channel in small boats.

Previously, The Guardian reported that the first asylum seeker to return to the UK after being forcibly removed to France did so in October, just weeks after their initial deportation. However, the full extent of these second-time returns was not previously known.

This year, small boat crossings have decreased by approximately 43%. This reduction is attributed to various factors, including adverse weather conditions, a general decline in migrant arrivals in Europe, and intensified efforts by UK and French authorities to disrupt people-smuggling operations.

The policy's justification rests on the premise that France is a safe country. However, asylum seekers who have returned to the UK after being sent back to France have cited threats from people smugglers and fear of being returned by French authorities to their home countries or transit nations. One asylum seeker recounted sleeping on the streets of Paris due to concerns about being sent back to Bulgaria, where they had been fingerprinted, and stated they were better off in a UK detention center.

According to Home Office figures as of June 30, 2026, 1,117 individuals had been transferred to the UK and 1,087 individuals had been returned to France under the 'one in one out' agreement. Officials have indicated that the treaty has been amended to ensure that individuals who return to the UK a second time will once again be returned to France.

Griff Ferris from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants criticized the lack of safe routes for individuals fleeing war, persecution, and climate destruction, arguing that they are forced to undertake dangerous journeys. He called for access to safe travel options, such as the daily ferries between Calais and Dover.

A Home Office spokesperson stated that individuals attempting to return to the UK after removal under the UK-France agreement are wasting their time and money, and will be removed again. The spokesperson also highlighted that over 1,000 illegal migrants have been removed from British soil under the payment-by-results returns agreement with France and that hundreds of enforcement actions have been taken against migrant smuggling networks.