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British Prime Minister Kiel and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to a deal to bring immigrants who cross the channel on a small boat back to France.
For all immigrants sent back, France sends asylum seekers to the UK.
How many people cross the waterway on a small boat?
As of July 6, 21,117 immigrants had crossed the channel on small boats since the beginning of the year. It increased by 56% over the same period in 2024.
What is the government doing to reduce small boat intersections?
Number 10 wants to work closer together with France to reduce crossings.
In the “one, one out” deal, PM has not checked the numbers, but they were able to see around 50 immigrants being sent to the first pilots a week.
But critics, including conservatives, point out that this will be a small part of the people currently intersecting. They question whether the scheme will block immigration, even if the pilot is expanded.
Speaking to Parliament ahead of Thursday’s talks, Macron said the UK and France “have a common responsibility to deal with irregular migration.”
He said France has “stepped up” its efforts, but warned that broader EU support is essential.
In 2023, the previous conservative government agreed to give France almost £500 million over three years to pay extra officers to stop immigration.
The current labor government also wants French police to intercept so-called taxi boats in shallow waters. These cruises cruise along the coastline to pick up people waiting at the sea.
Under the proposal of an existing home office, smugglers of suspicious people face travel bans, social media power outages and phone restrictions.
New crimes that risk life at sea will serve up to five years in prison. People convicted of conduct in preparation for smuggling – up to 14 years in prison, including buying boat parts.
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The government also strengthened the rules to make it almost impossible to become a British citizen on a small boat that arrives in the UK.
Previously, refugees who entered this way could apply for citizenship 10 years later. The Refugee Council estimates that at least 71,000 people will be affected.
Criminals sentenced to more than one year are now denied asylum and are deported under the refugee treaty.
The government wants to expand this to include asylum seekers convicted of sexual offences.
The Minister has also spent £150 million to establish a new border security order to lead efforts to tackle the issue.
Current Shadow Interior Secretary Chris Phillip has denounced the recent rise in crossings over labor that “tears” conservative plans to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
“This is the worst year on record and it’s free for everything,” he added.
How many people die across the channel?
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, tracks the number of people who die trying to cross the channel.
Those numbers include people who were travelling to intersections and died in other circumstances due to car accidents or medical issues.
The IOM estimates that at least 82 immigrants died in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record.
At the end of June, he said at least 18 people had died on the route in 2025. We need a total number of immigrants who have lost their lives from 2018 to 247.
The Refugee Council says the risk of intersections has increased and more people are packed into boats worthy of the ship.
Who crosses the channel on a small boat?
According to figures from the home office, the Afghans were the top nationalities who arrived in a small boat in March 2025.
The Syrians formed the second largest group, followed by Iran, Vietnam and Eritrea people.
These five nationalities accounted for 61% of all arrivals.
In 2024, almost a third of the 108,000 people who claimed asylum in the UK arrived on a small boat.
Home offices can eliminate people who do not have legal rights to stay in the UK or refuse to let them enter.
Between 2018 and December 2024, 4,995 people who came to the UK by small boats were returned to their homeland. This is about 3% of the total.
How does the arrival of a small boat in the UK compare to Europe?
In the year ending in September 2024, 1.1 million people claimed asylum in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), down 3% compared to the previous year.
Germany received the most applicants – 294,415. France was second (162,390) followed by Italy (162,305) and Spain (161,470).
