United Kingdom migration return scheme costs £56,000 per person

The United Kingdom’s ‘one in, one out’ migration scheme costs approximately £56,000 per person returned to France, according to British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Under this pilot program, individuals who cross the English Channel in small boats and arrive illegally in the UK are returned to France. In exchange, the UK receives asylum seekers from France who enter via legal and controlled routes.

Since the program's launch in August 2025, approximately 1,400 people have been returned. Mahmood defended the expenditure, stating the cost per return is comparable to or less than the cost of housing a single asylum seeker in a British hotel for one year. However, authorities noted that some returned migrants have subsequently attempted to re-enter the UK via illegal routes.

The current bilateral arrangement is set to expire on October 1, 2026. While the UK and France negotiate its future, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez indicated that Paris seeks to transition from this bilateral deal to a broader agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom. Additionally, a separate pilot project offers families whose asylum claims were rejected up to £40,000 to leave the UK voluntarily.