The Guardian has learned that the Home Office is still putting asylum seekers on planes to France weeks after the controversial ‘one in, one out’ scheme to remove them ended. Officials chartered a plane to France on Wednesday for a group of people thought to have arrived on small boats before the scheme’s end on 1 October, and a second flight is scheduled for 17 November.
The “one in, one out” scheme was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July 2025. It aimed to deter small boat crossings of the Channel by forcibly returning some asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK to France while bringing a similar number from northern France legally to the UK. The scheme ended on 1 October, but Home Office sources said returns of the remainder of the cohort were continuing.
Freedom of information data show that almost one-third of the scheme’s deportation flights, seven out of 23, were cancelled between July and September this year, more than double the total of cancelled deportation flights to France in the first six months of 2026.
The scheme has been controversial because it does not appear to have had the intended deterrent effect. While small boat crossings have fallen by approximately 40% so far this year compared with the same period last year, there has been a similar reduction in irregular migration to Europe over the same period. According to evidence given to parliament’s cross-party home affairs committee by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, removing people to France has cost at least £78m. Some who were sent were returned to the UK and then sent back a second time, incurring further cost.
Emma Ginn, director of Medical Justice, said asylum seekers remain in detention centres awaiting forced removal. “Even though the scheme has been abandoned, vulnerable people still held under its powers continue to suffer immensely due to the severe harm known to be caused by immigration detention being compounded by the prospect of imminent return to France, where many have reported experiencing violence and abuse at the hands of smugglers.”
The Guardian interviewed two asylum seekers who were sent to France under the scheme and have since returned to the UK after 1 October. A Syrian man said he was detained again on return but then released and his asylum claim is now being processed. An Iranian man said he had been planning to return for months after being abused by smugglers in France. “I was tortured and beaten by the smugglers. I was too afraid to go outside in France. People have no idea how difficult the life is in France for people like us sent back by the UK.”
Maddie Harris of Humans for Rights Network questioned the purpose of the scheme. “Hundreds of millions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money has been transferred to the French government. Men, women and children are teargassed and beaten on the beaches, after being subjected to repetitive, violent evictions from living sites, yet people still cross to the UK. This money has done nothing but cause harm.”
An asylum seeker in the “Jungle” camp in Dunkirk said at least five or six people from the scheme are waiting to cross back. Another person, who said he was 17 and had been caught by police trying to board a lorry, said he would continue trying to reach the UK. “It is very dangerous to get here but we have no choice. Somehow we will handle it.”
The Guardian understands that at least seven asylum seekers returned to France have come back to the UK since 1 October, with reports of more waiting in northern France to cross.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The continued removals after the scheme’s official end mean taxpayers are still funding flights that many argue are ineffective and harmful.
- Asylum seekers returned to France report violence and homelessness, raising human rights concerns about the policy even after its abandonment.
- The cancellation rate of deportation flights has more than doubled, suggesting operational difficulties and raising questions about the scheme’s efficiency.
Background
The ‘one in, one out’ scheme was a joint UK-France initiative from July 2025 to deter Channel crossings. It ended on 1 October after critics argued it failed to reduce overall crossings and caused distress to vulnerable people. Despite the end date, the Home Office is continuing to deport those processed during the scheme’s active period.
Key Perspectives
Emma Ginn (Medical Justice): Says vulnerable people are still being detained under the scheme’s powers and suffering severe harm from detention combined with threat of return to France.
Maddie Harris (Humans for Rights Network): Calls the scheme a waste of hundreds of millions of pounds that harms people without stopping crossings, and urges safe routes for asylum claims.
Home Office sources: State that returns of the remaining cohort are continuing after the deal ended.
Asylum seekers returned to France: Describe abuse by smugglers, homelessness, and repeated attempts to cross back to the UK.
What to Watch
- The second scheduled flight on 17 November and whether it proceeds or is cancelled.
- Whether the number of asylum seekers returning to the UK after removal continues to rise, undermining the policy’s deterrent effect.
- Any further parliamentary scrutiny or legal challenges to the post-scheme deportations.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe UK is still sending asylum seekers to France weeks after the scheme ended.World news | The Guardian: “The Home Office is still putting asylum seekers on to planes to France weeks after the controversial scheme to remove them ended, the Guardian has learned.”
- Partly supportedThe Home Office says returns of the scheme’s cohort are continuing.World news | The Guardian: “Home Office sources said returns of the remainder of the “one in, one out” cohort were continuing after the deal had ended.”
- SupportedOfficials chartered a flight to France on Wednesday for people thought to have arrived before the scheme ended, and another flight is scheduled for 17 November.World news | The Guardian: “Officials chartered a plane to France on Wednesday for a group of people who are thought to have arrived on small boats in the UK before the scheme ended. A second flight is scheduled for 17 November.”
- SupportedSeven of the scheme’s 23 deportation flights were cancelled between July and September, more than double the total cancelled in the first six months of 2026.World news | The Guardian: “almost one-third of the scheme’s deportation flights – seven out of 23 – were cancelled between July and September this year, more than double the total of cancelled deportation flights to France in the first six months of 2026.”
- SupportedSmall boat crossings fell by approximately 40% so far this year compared with the same period last year.World news | The Guardian: “While small boat crossings have reduced by approximately 40% so far this year compared with the same period last year”
- SupportedRemoving people to France has cost at least £78m, according to evidence Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood gave to Parliament’s home affairs committee.World news | The Guardian: “According to evidence the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, gave to a recent session of parliament’s cross-party home affairs committee, removing people to France has cost at least £78m.”
- SupportedEmma Ginn said asylum seekers remain detained ahead of forced removal to France.World news | The Guardian: “Emma Ginn, the director of Medical Justice, said that asylum seekers are still being held in detention centres in preparation for forced removal to France.”
- SupportedGinn said: “Even though the scheme has been abandoned, vulnerable people still held under its powers continue to suffer immensely due to the severe harm known to be caused by immigration detention being compounded by the prospect of imminent return to France, where many have reported experiencing violence and abuse at the hands of smugglers.”World news | The Guardian: ““Even though the scheme has been abandoned, vulnerable people still held under its powers continue to suffer immensely due to the severe harm known to be caused by immigration detention being compounded by the prospect of imminent return to France, where many have reported experiencing violence and abuse at the hands of smugglers.””
- SupportedA Syrian man returned to the UK after 1 October said he was detained again, released, and his asylum claim was being processed.World news | The Guardian: ““At first the Home Office put me back in detention,” said the Syrian man. “They said they were looking for a safe third country to deport me to. But there wasn’t one, so they released me and my asylum claim is now being looked at in the UK.””
- SupportedThe Iranian man said: “I was tortured and beaten by the smugglers. I was too afraid to go outside in France. People have no idea how difficult the life is in France for people like us sent back by the UK.”World news | The Guardian: ““I was tortured and beaten by the smugglers. I was too afraid to go outside in France. People have no idea how difficult the life is in France for people like us sent back by the UK.””
- SupportedAt least seven asylum seekers returned to France have come back to the UK since 1 October, with reports of more waiting in northern France to cross back.World news | The Guardian: “The Guardian understands that at least seven asylum seekers returned to France have come back to the UK since 1 October, with reports of several more waiting in northern France to cross back to the UK”
- SupportedAn asylum seeker in the “Jungle” in Dunkirk said at least five or six people from the scheme were waiting there to cross back to the UK.World news | The Guardian: ““There are at least five or six people from one in, one out waiting in the Jungle at the moment to cross the Channel back to the UK.””