SIR Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron today unveiled an “aggressive” one-in-one-out deal to send small boat migrants packing back to France.
The PM vowed to show illegal arrivals that if they come to Britain by dinghy, they will end up in detention and returned across the Channel.
AFPSir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron hold a joint press conference to announce a new illegal migrant swap deal[/caption]
ReutersThe agreement will see the UK send illegal migrants back to France in exchange for accepting others who have family ties to Britain[/caption]
GettyIllegal migrants smile and wave on board a dinghy set sail for Britain today[/caption]
In a joint press conference with the French President, Sir Keir confirmed that in exchange for sending unlawful migrants back, the UK will accept others from Calais who have “legitimate claims” and family in Britain.
Only those who haven’t tried to enter the country illegally before will be eligible for the scheme, which will come into force “in weeks”.
The PM hailed the latest “groundbreaking” pilot plan to tackle small boats as “hard-headed, aggressive action”.
He boasted that “previous governments tried and failed to secure results like this”.
The PM said: “Illegal migration is a global crisis and it is a European crisis but it is also very acutely a crisis for our two nations, a crisis of law, security, humanity and fairness.
“We face a sprawling multi-billion pound enterprise run by criminal gangs leading hundreds of people to their deaths in the Channel.
“So we’re determined together to end this vile trade.”
Sir Keir added: “This is our plan together: hard-headed, aggressive action on all fronts to break the gangs’ business model, secure our borders and show that attempting to reach the UK by small boat will only end in detention, failure and return.”
Revealed in the Plan:
Migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order
A one-in, one-out system will operate with migrants sent back to France in exchange for asylum seekers
Britain and France will be coordinating their independent nuclear deterrents for the first time
Crackdown on illegal working in UK will also be a deterrent to small boat crossings
At the Northwood Military Headquarters in Hertfordshire Sir Keir and Mr Macron insisted the deal would help break the business model of the smuggling gangs, with migrants unwilling to pay thousands for a crossing if they could be sent straight back.
But in a concession the new deal won’t necessarily end the crisis, the PM clarified “there is no silver bullet here”.
Under the “groundbreaking returns pilot”, for the very first time small boat migrants will be “detained and returned to France in short order”.
In exchange for every return, a different asylum seeker will be allowed into Britain through a “safe route, controlled and legal, subject to strict security checks”.
Sir Keir said: “This will show others trying to make the same journey that it will be in vain and the jobs they’ve been promised in the UK will no longer exist because of the nationwide crackdown we’re delivering on illegal working, which is on a completely unprecedented scale.”
But the agreement is equivalent to just 2,600 returns annually, compared with the 44,000 who have arrived since Labour took power a year ago.
And this year alone more than 21,117 migrants had crossed the Channel – a 56 per cent rise on the same period in 2024.
Analysis
By Ryan Sabey, Deputy Political Editor
Sir Keir Starmer has rolled the dice on cutting the number of small boat crossings – but critics will ask whether it will ever be enough.
The Prime Minister talks about a “ground-breaking” system that will send those making the perilous journey to France back where they came.
He hit out at the “megaphone politics” that he says has so far achieved nothing.
It will start with 50 migrants being sent back to France per week at the beginning but that will have to be ramped up. And it will have to be ramped up as soon as possible.
Twenty-thousand migrants have crossed so far this year and it shows no sign of going down anytime soon.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is breathing down his neck and the PM knows he has to solve this problem quick, sharp.
Mr Farage was out in the Channel himself today watching 70 migrants being delivered by the French navy to a waiting Border Force vessel.
Sir Keir hopes that those making those journeys will be “in vain” and he can live up to his election promises to “smash the gangs”.
The State Visit has had it all from the pomp and ceremony with the State banquet to the nitty-gritty of negotiations on small boats and the nuclear deterrent.
But for all the glamour of horse-drawn carriages and Elton John attending the big dinner, it will all come down to whether Sir Keir can stop the boats.
The hand-shakes are on display today. For Sir Keir, actions matter, and he can’t afford this to be a cruel summer.
Addressing the press conference, Mr Macron couldn’t help a dig at Brexit, blaming the divorce from Europe, rather than lazy French cops, for the surge in channel crossings.
Despite Britain having paid £770 million to border patrol officers in Calais, the French President whinged: “We must above all adapt the response to Brexit.
“It’s that we sold a lie to the British people which is the problem with Europe… The problems become Brexit with your government and the first time in nine years we’re providing a response.”
The announcement of the deal concludes a three-day State Visit to the UK by Mr Macron, who also dined with King Charles and members of the royal family.
Earlier today the PM and French President were seen embracing outside Downing Street earlier, with Sir Keir vowing to tackle illegal immigration with “new tactics” and a “new level of intent”.
Mr Macron said the UK and France “share the same will” insisting France will “engage all countries who share a responsibility alongside us”.
It comes after stark images highlighting the small boats crisis were captured this morning with individuals crammed into an inflatable dinghy as it crosses the Channel.
The group, seen wearing life jackets, have one leg hanging over the vessel’s ledge so more people can be packed in.
Nigel Farage was aboard a fishing vessel in the Channel, where he witnessed first-hand SEVENTY migrants being escorted by France into British waters.
The Reform UK leader looked on as a Border Force boat waited for the crammed dinghy to arrive for the handover.
British and French authorities in shocking footage.
Illegal migrants waved and celebrated as they set sail for Britain.
Mr Farage blasted successive UK governments who have handed £750 million to France to deal with the small boats issue – but the crisis continues.
Nigel Farage witnesses migrants on a boat crossing the Channel 10/07/2025 Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
