Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UK-France 'one-in-one-out' scheme will be ended after the conclusion of the pilot in October, and what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safeguarding measures during the detention of vulnerable people including children under the scheme.

Our landmark UK-France returns deal means we can send those who arrive on small boats straight back to France – striking at the heart of the gangs’ business model. This has seen us deport more than 1,000 illegal migrants from British soil.

The UK-France returns arrangement remains a pilot scheme and has been extended until October 2026, allowing it to be further scaled and tested over the peak summer period. There is no single silver bullet to end small boat crossings, and this pilot is only one element of our partnership with France, within our wider strategy. I continue to work with my European counterparts to build a comprehensive approach to control migration between the EU and the UK.

The Government takes the welfare and safety of those in its care seriously. Each case considered under the pilot is assessed on an individual basis, including consideration of safeguarding, vulnerability and suitability for removal. Appropriate safeguards are in place, and individuals are able to make representations before any removal takes place.

Where an individual is detained, the suitability of ongoing detention is regularly reviewed, and where there is no legal barrier, removal will proceed.

Individuals are not removed to France where their age is in dispute, given the terms of the Treaty sets out those removed will be individuals who have been determined to be an adult. Removing minors to France is explicitly prohibited under Article 4(2)(d) of the Agreement.

We will continue to work with French authorities to ensure swift, lawful processing under the Agreement and to maintain public safety. We are continuously monitoring and evaluating our pilot, alongside the procedures in place to deliver it.