France blocked more migrants from being deported under a "one in, one out" scheme by rejecting candidates without providing explanations, according to a report.
Home Office officials frequently expressed frustration as French counterparts would reject selected migrants without stating why, the review found. John Tuckett, the UK's Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, noted that refusal rates sometimes reached as high as 50 percent, significantly impacting the number of individuals who could be returned to France.
The "one in, one out" deal, established between former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron last summer, officially expired last month. Between August 2025 and June 30, 2026, a total of 1,087 migrants were returned to France, while the UK accepted 1,117 in return. However, during the same period, nearly 28,000 migrants arrived in the UK via small boats, meaning only about 4 percent of arrivals were sent back to France under the agreement.
Tuckett's final report on the scheme's effectiveness highlighted a need for greater engagement between the UK and France. He stated that UK caseworking teams were often unaware of the criteria French officials used when rejecting cases. While French officials cited issues with the quality and content of data from the Home Office, the report concluded that the criteria and basis for acceptance or rejection by French authorities were not transparent to UK caseworkers.
UK caseworkers reportedly received simple "yes/no" responses without sufficient explanation to identify patterns in decision-making, which limited the referral process's effectiveness. The report also suggested that the issue of small boat crossings was perceived by some French staff as primarily affecting the UK, with a focus on broader, Europe-wide returns discussions.
Paris has been advocating for an EU-wide initiative to replace the bilateral scheme, which would allow Britain to send migrants back to multiple EU countries and accept a similar number in return from those nations. Despite legal challenges lodged by migrant groups and lawyers, these were largely unsuccessful as France is considered a safe country.
Chris Philp, the Tory shadow home secretary, criticized the scheme's failure, stating that France appeared more interested in absolving itself of responsibility than preventing crossings, despite the UK providing significant funding to France.