One in, One out – A Legal route for Asylum
One in, One out
The UK and France have announced a pilot agreement this month which has been referred to as a “one in, one out” policy.
At a basic level, this agreement between France and the UK will see:
- The UK returning up to 50 migrants a week who arrive via small boats and have no verified UK family connection, sending them back to France
- For each person returned, the UK agrees to accept one asylum seeker from France who does have legitimate family ties to the UK, and who hasn’t attempted to enter via illegal means. This will provide a legal route for people to come to the UK for the purpose of seeking asylum.
Why is this being introduced?
The policy aims to deter dangerous Channel crossing and undermine the illegal people-smuggling networks, reducing incentives for unsafe crossings.
The pilot scheme is due to begin within weeks, with the exact timeframe depending on legal and EU reviews.
Criticisms and Concerns
There is concern that the number of migrants the UK is able to return is too limited. There are an average of 700 crossings each week, with only 50 potentially able to be returned.
The exact process and criteria is still under review by France and the rest of the UK, however it is reported that France will be able to veto returns, and the UK can choose who to accept.
In summary…
The “one in, one out” policy is a focused, bilateral pilot aimed at deterring perilous Channel crossings through anexchange mechanism. While it signifies a pragmatic step toward legal cooperation, its limited scale, legal uncertainties, and questions about effectiveness and fairnesshave drawn significant criticism. Its ultimate success will depend on implementation, legal clearance, and whether it can be expanded.