Scrutiny of the UK-France “one-in-one-out” asylum scheme

The pilot “one-in-one-out” arrangement returns a small-boat asylum seeker to France in exchange for a legally arrived migrant from northern France to be processed in the UK. Samusocial de Paris (SSP), commissioned by Île-de-France’s regional health agency, recorded 90 returnees between 22 January and 7 June 2026. All were young men from Eritrea, Sudan or Afghanistan. The SSP report, submitted to a French parliamentary inquiry, links physical bruising, fractures, restraint-related lacerations and abdominal pain to detention conditions in the UK. Thirteen case studies document worsening injuries from delayed treatment and severe mental-health issues, including PTSD and suicide risk.

The GuardianThe Guardian

Human-rights NGOs have compiled a list of at least 41 age-disputed children who were removed to France despite the treaty’s exclusion of lone children from adult detention. Their current whereabouts are unknown, and NGOs describe the situation as “shameful.” Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) note that almost a hundred children appear to have been unlawfully detained as adults under the scheme.

The Guardian

A Home Office spokesperson asserted that the welfare of returnees is “taken incredibly seriously,” emphasizing that detainees have regular healthcare access and that anyone unfit to travel will not be returned. Mitie, the security contractor providing guards, was approached for comment but did not respond. The French interior ministry declined to comment on the disappearances.

The Guardian

Nihal Osman, programme coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières, described the agreement as “a machine for psychological destruction” and warned that physical injuries are intertwined with severe psychological deterioration. Maddie Harris, director of the Humans For Rights Network, called the forced return of lone children “shameful” and highlighted the acute violence and exploitation they face. Alex Sobel, chair of Parliament’s joint committee on human rights, expressed deep concern over the “securitisation of the French border” and said the practices of French police would be unacceptable for British police.

The Guardian

• “We support many children detained under this scheme and attempt to secure their release. However, at least 41 children have been removed from the UK to France and their whereabouts is currently unknown. The vast majority of these children have experienced acute violence and exploitation and are now without protection somewhere in Europe.” — Nihal Osman

The Guardian

The scheme, which began in August 2025, is scheduled to expire on 1 October. During its first year, about 1,400 people were forcibly returned to France—roughly 4 % of the 32,000 small-boat arrivals recorded since the agreement’s signing. The emerging evidence has prompted calls for a mechanism to collect mistreatment allegations and for possible referral to French prosecutors under article 40 of the French criminal procedure code.

The Guardian