Key facts
- Nearly 100 children were wrongly detained as adults under a UK-France migration deal.
- 31% of age-disputed cases (94 out of 304) over nine months were found to be minors.
- The scheme allows the UK to send some small boat arrivals back to France while taking an equal number of individuals from France.
- Some individuals were detained for over six months, far exceeding the intended 28-day limit.
- Concerns were raised about the detention of vulnerable individuals, including children and survivors of abuse.
- Health screening issues were noted, with some detainees having TB or requiring hospital treatment.
Nearly 100 children have been wrongly identified and detained as adults under a UK-France migration deal, according to a critical letter sent to Home Office minister Anna Turley. The interim chair of independent monitoring boards, Jane Leech, disclosed that out of 304 age-disputed cases arising from the "one in, one out" scheme between August 2025 and May 2026, 94 (31%) were ultimately found to be minors.
Leech's letter highlighted significant concerns about the effectiveness of child safeguarding mechanisms, stating that children should not be detained in the first place when their age is in dispute. The scheme, launched in August 2025, allows the UK to return some small boat arrivals to France while accepting an equivalent number of individuals from France deemed to have legitimate claims. However, the IMB found that some individuals, including children and survivors of abuse, were being placed in detention.
Further criticisms included lengthy detention periods, with some individuals awaiting deportation for over six months despite the policy limiting detention to 28 days in exceptional cases. The letter also noted instances of people being prepared for removal to France despite suffering from tuberculosis or requiring hospital treatment, and the detrimental impact of separating individuals from their travelling family members.
Leech also pointed to poor health screening at Manston, with one individual arriving at Gatwick IRC with tuberculosis and another being refused admission due to their critical health state. The official name for the deal within the Home Office is Operation Hillmore, and Leech expressed "significant concerns" about the psychological distress and history of torture and abuse among those detained.
Government figures indicate that between August 2025 and June 2026, 1,087 people were returned to France under the deal, while 27,920 arrived in the UK on small boats. The Refugee Council described the figures as "disturbing" and called for professional assessments led by trained social workers to accurately determine age and prevent such risks.