On Saturday, 435 migrants travelling in seven boats were brought ashore at Dover, Kent, marking the highest daily total since the new “one in, one out” agreement with France became operational earlier this week, according to the Home Office.
Among those arriving were children, rescued by Border Force and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), on a day that also saw a number of immigration protests across the UK.
The “one in, one out” pilot scheme enables the UK to return some migrants arriving at Dover back to France, in exchange for receiving an equal number of asylum seekers from France who have legitimate claims to enter the UK. Initial numbers involved in the scheme are expected to be small, with returns due to begin within weeks.
Since the start of 2025, more than 25,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats, increasing political pressure on the government regarding immigration. Protests and counter-demonstrations have taken place outside hotels used to house asylum seekers throughout the country.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed it has been involved in over 300 arrests of suspected people smugglers in the last five years through joint operations with French police. In July, six members of an Afghan smuggling network were sentenced in France to a total of 26 years and 10 months in prison and fined £150,000.
Rick Jones, head of the NCA’s international operations, highlighted the strong partnership with French law enforcement, stating that France is a key ally in the fight against organised immigration crime. Both agencies are determined to target ruthless people-smuggling gangs who put lives at risk by transporting migrants across the Channel.
