UK Faces £56,000 Cost Per Migrant Return to France Amid Program Uncertainty

The United Kingdom government is incurring costs of approximately £56,000 for each individual returned to France under its bilateral “one in, one out” migration pilot program. Since the scheme began in August 2025, approximately 1,400 individuals have been removed, although operational data indicates some returnees have re-entered the UK.

Officials defend the expenditure by comparing it to the annual cost of housing asylum seekers in temporary hotel accommodation. However, the program faces significant challenges in scaling up, constrained by limited detention capacity and operational limitations that restrict the volume of removals.

Bilateral Agreement Faces End The future of the arrangement is uncertain as French authorities have indicated their intent to terminate the bilateral agreement by October 1, 2026. France advocates for replacing this pilot with a comprehensive EU-UK returns framework. The UK government, however, has dismissed this proposal as an ineffective solution for current migration trends, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stating that a broader EU system would not resolve the issue. The "one in, one out" deal allows the UK to send a person arriving by small boat back to France in exchange for taking an asylum seeker applying via a legal route. The pilot has already been extended once and its long-term viability remains under review. Voluntary Departure Scheme Uptake

The United Kingdom

Separately, a voluntary departure scheme offering up to £40,000 to failed asylum-seeking families has seen low participation rates. Officials attribute this to the comparative value of state-provided services, such as healthcare and education, which remain accessible to those who do not accept the resettlement payment.

Home Secretary Mahmood noted that individuals weigh the £40,000 offer against access to free healthcare and education for their children. The government’s scheme has struggled to increase the number of returns due to operational difficulties and constraints like limited detention space.