UK detains first migrants under new Franco-British treaty to curb channel crossings

Thursday 07 August 2025 - 12:15

LONDON, August 7, 2025 – The UK Home Office announced Thursday that it has detained the first migrants arriving by small boats who are set to be returned to France under the newly implemented Franco-British treaty aimed at reducing dangerous Channel crossings.

According to an official statement, migrants who landed in the UK just after midday on Wednesday were placed in detention centers pending their deportation, although the exact number of detainees was not disclosed.

This treaty, unveiled during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the UK in July, seeks to deter migrants from attempting the perilous journey across the Channel via overcrowded and unsafe vessels often organized by smugglers.

The UK government indicated that the first deportations to France are expected in the coming weeks. Under the treaty’s “one-for-one” principle, France will accept the return of migrants arriving in the UK by small boats whose asylum claims have been deemed inadmissible. Conversely, the UK will process applications from migrants currently in France who have registered online, prioritizing those with ties to the UK.

Names of migrants to be deported will be sent to French authorities within three days, who then have 14 days to respond, as detailed by the Home Office.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated the treaty’s enforcement on social media, stating, “When I promised I would do everything to secure our borders, I meant it.” He faces increasing pressure to reduce the record number of over 25,400 migrants who have crossed into the UK by small boats so far this year—a 49% increase from last year.