UK ‘One In, One Out’ Migration Scheme Brings in More Asylum Seekers Than It Removes

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood revealed that 69 more migrants have come to the UK on the one in, one out scheme than have been returned. Photo: PA

The UK government has admitted that more migrants have entered Britain under its flagship «one in, one out» agreement with France than have been returned across the Channel.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said around 350 asylum seekers have been brought to the UK from France since the scheme began in September, compared with 281 people deported in the opposite direction. She acknowledged that one of the early challenges was a lack of awareness of the new legal route among migrants in France.

Speaking to LBC radio, Mahmood said officials struggled to promote the scheme effectively, noting the difficulty of competing with organised smuggling networks. She stressed that the policy remains in a pilot phase and involves relatively small numbers, while practical constraints have slowed removals.

Government figures show more than 41,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year, the second-highest total on record. The prime minister’s spokesman defended the scheme, saying fluctuations were expected and describing it as one of several tools to disrupt people-smuggling gangs.

The update comes amid renewed scrutiny of migration controls, after France’s human rights ombudsman warned police against the use of force on beaches to stop migrants attempting Channel crossings.

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