The much-debated UK-France migrant repatriation agreement has completed legal procedures and gained EU approval, with Britain set to launch detention and deportation operations in the coming days.
According to comprehensive reports by the BBC, Reuters, and other media on August 5:
- Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel to enter the UK whose asylum claims are deemed ineligible will be returned to France.
- In exchange, Britain will accept an equivalent number of vetted asylum seekers whose applications were filed in France.
Data shows over 25,000 migrants have reached the UK by boat as of July 30 this year—a 49% surge compared to 2024. Current UK deportation capacity stands at just 50 people weekly, starkly contrasting with the weekly influx of 800+ irregular arrivals.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously called the agreement “no silver bullet” but recently emphasized it as “the product of months of diplomacy” that would “deliver practical results.” The Conservative Party countered that the deal “will have no practical effect.”
Under pressure, the UK government announced on August 4:
- £100 million in funding to deploy 300 additional officers targeting smuggling crimes.
- Sanctions against smugglers’ social media recruitment channels.
- Crackdowns on illegal employment to reduce economic incentives.
AFP reported significant controversy in northern France, where:
- Local officials argue the deal “clearly favors British interests.”
- Migrant aid organizations claim it violates international refugee protection laws.
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the “shared challenge across the Channel” but conceded the arrangement “isn’t good news for Calais or Dunkirk.”
French magazine Border commented: Despite high-profile Anglo-French pledges to “dismantle smuggling networks,” the reality is quite the opposite—migrant flows continue rising, smuggling gangs grow bolder, and regional tensions intensify.