The cost of the government’s controversial “one in, one out” migration scheme has been laid bare, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood revealing that each person returned to France under the programme has cost taxpayers approximately £56,000.
The disclosure came during a tense session with the Home Affairs Select Committee, where Ms Mahmood was pressed on whether the arrangement represented value for money. Around 1,400 individuals have been removed to France since the pilot scheme launched in August 2025, though officials acknowledged some have subsequently made their way back to the UK via lorries or small boats.
Defending the Price Tag
Ms Mahmood sought to justify the expense, arguing that the cost per removal was “still cheaper, or just about the same as supporting someone in a hotel for a year.” Her comments come amid ongoing scrutiny over the government’s approach to managing irregular migration across the English Channel.
Under the terms of the deal, the UK returns one person who arrived by small boat in exchange for accepting an asylum seeker who has applied through official legal routes. The pilot has already been extended once and is currently scheduled to run until October, with its long-term future still under review.
France Signals End to Bilateral Agreement
Despite the scheme’s continuation, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has indicated a desire to move away from the current arrangement. In June, he told a French parliamentary inquiry that France wants to transition from the bilateral relationship to a broader EU-UK returns deal.
“For our part, we want to move away from this bilateral relationship with the UK. We consider that France should not have to carry it alone, and that it would be better to integrate it into an agreement between the EU and UK,” Nuñez stated. He reportedly told Ms Mahmood directly that the pilot agreement was not intended to be renewed beyond October 1, 2026.
Scale and Challenges Remain
Ms Mahmood acknowledged that the programme has faced operational difficulties in scaling up removals, citing constraints such as limited detention space. “It’s not been without its challenges. Obviously, the numbers are still relatively small,” she told MPs.
She also provided an update on a separate voluntary return scheme, noting that only a small number of failed asylum-seeking families had accepted offers of up to £40,000 to leave the UK voluntarily. “If you’re a failed asylum-seeking family, what you’re trading off is an offer of £40,000, which will help you resettle back in your country of origin, versus… access to free healthcare and education for your children,” she explained.
Broader Context and EU Relations
The UK’s departure from the EU’s Dublin agreement – which previously governed responsibility for processing asylum claims – has complicated efforts to manage returns. Ms Mahmood dismissed suggestions that a new EU-wide system would provide a “silver bullet” for the Channel crisis, claiming the current scheme has already returned more people than Britain ever managed under the old Dublin arrangements.
“It is a real mistake to think that that pact is the future. And if we were in that, this problem would go away because I promise you, it would not,” she asserted to the committee.
Why it Matters
The revelation of the £56,000 per-person cost places fresh pressure on a government already struggling to demonstrate control over its borders. As public concern over immigration continues to influence electoral politics, these figures are likely to fuel debate over whether bilateral agreements with individual EU nations can effectively address the complex challenge of Channel crossings, particularly when key partners like France signal their reluctance to sustain such arrangements indefinitely.
