France and Britain End ‘One in, One Out’ Migrant Deal Amid Ongoing Talks

France and Britain end migrant deal as talks to withdraw from agreement intensify. Key figures and details revealed.

September 30, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Paris, France — A pilot program between the United Kingdom and France aimed at managing small-boat migrant crossings has officially ended, according to the UK Home Office. The so-called ‘one in, one out’ agreement, launched last August, was designed to return asylum seekers to France in exchange for an equal number of legal migrants entering the UK.

The French interior ministry confirmed it is in discussions about withdrawing from the deal, which had been set to expire on Thursday. The initiative, introduced under former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was intended to ease tensions between the two nations following Brexit. However, the scheme faced multiple obstacles, including legal challenges and French reluctance to extend it beyond its original term.

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French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had previously stated that the agreement was not meant to be renewed past October 1, 2026. Despite efforts by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to keep the deal active during September talks with President Emmanuel Macron, Paris showed little interest in continuing the arrangement. UK officials acknowledged the program’s operational difficulties and noted that the numbers involved remained relatively low. As of now, around 1,500 individuals had been returned to France, with a similar number accepted by the UK.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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