The Home Office insists that any attempt to return is a waste of time and money.
Migrants try to cross the English Channel in small boats (Image: Getty)
Asylum seekers removed to France under the UK’s “one-in one-out” English Channel crossings agreement have already returned illegally by concealing themselves in lorries. And the new will doubtless raise fresh questions about the effectiveness of the much-trumpeted deal designed to curb small boat arrivals.
At least four people previously flown back to France after reaching British shores on small boats have since re-entered clandestinely via lorry, according to The Guardian. Two were swiftly detained by Home Office immigration enforcement officers and are held in removal centres, while the other two are reportedly living off the grid in London.
Migrants struggle to board crossing boat at Wimereux
The arrangement, agreed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron in July last year and activated in August, has so far seen 377 small boat arrivals returned to France. That total represents around 2 per cent of the 18,790 people who have crossed the Channel in small boats since the scheme began.
In return, France has transferred 380 asylum seekers to the UK under the reciprocal provisions.
The most recent re-entries took place in March: two migrants arrived in separate lorries on March 5 and March 7 and are now back in detention. They told officials they had been forced onto the vehicles by people smugglers seeking to exploit weaknesses in the new system. The remaining pair crossed on March 12 and have evaded detection in the capital.
Earlier returns involved small boats rather than lorries. One Iranian national, who arrived on a dinghy on August 6 and was deported on September 19, re-crossed by boat within a month. A second, removed on October 16, returned by small boat on November 8.
Before the small boat phenomenon took off in 2018, lorries were the smugglers’ preferred method for clandestine entry. Although significantly more expensive – typically three to four times the cost of a boat passage – the lorry route offers greater control and avoids French maritime patrols in the Channel.
A Home Office spokesperson defended the policy, stating: “French maritime forces have agreed to intercept small boats on the water and our landmark agreement means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.
“Individuals who try to return are detected by biometrics, detained instantly and returned at the earliest opportunity, having wasted their time and money.”
The incidents have intensified debate over the scheme’s impact. Supporters highlight the symbolic shift towards enforced returns and improved bilateral cooperation, while critics argue that returning such a small proportion of arrivals does little to deter crossings or dismantle smuggling networks.
Ministers insist biometric identification and rapid enforcement will build a stronger deterrent effect as the programme matures, making repeated attempts futile and costly. They also point to tens of thousands of potential crossings prevented through joint French-UK operations in northern France.
The Government continues to promote safe and legal migration routes as the alternative to dangerous sea journeys.