France, UK discuss scrapping 2025 accord on migrant Channel crossings

France is in discussions with the UK on ending a 2025 accord which aimed to reduce the number of migrants irregularly crossing the Channel to England on small boats, the French interior ministry said on Wednesday.Talks are under way on "the terms for withdrawing from the agreement", the French ministry toldAFP, confirming a report inLe Mondenewspaper.

London had been keen to extend the deal, under which Britain takes in the same number of migrants returned to France, but Paris was less enthusiastic.The deal was agreed in 2025 by former British prime minister Keir Starmer in a bid to help a post-Brexit reset in Paris-London ties by easing what had become a major source of tension between the neighbours.The pilot scheme was initially agreed to last for a year but had been extended until October 1, meaning it was due for renewal.French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in June that he had "clearly announced" to Britain that this "pilot agreement... was not intended to be renewed beyond October 1, 2026."The deal enabled Britain to deport some of the arrivals deemed not to have a right to stay.Targeting smuggling networksIn return, London was to accept an equal number of irregular refugees from France who are likely to have their asylum claim granted, giving priority to nationalities most vulnerable to smugglers and those with ties in Britain.The agreement aimed to smash the business model of smugglers who charge migrants huge amounts to make the perilous and sometimes deadly journey.The deal, which was criticised by rights groups who said it was treating humans as commodities, initially targeted 2,600 exchanges.But by early August, only 1,087 irregular refugees who had reached Britain had been returned to France under the agreement.

In exchange, as of the end of June, London had legally admitted 1,117 other asylum seekers who had applied in France, according to UK data.On Monday, three migrants, including a 10-year-old boy, died off the French coast while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said.At least 22 people have died this year trying to cross the Channel, according to anAFPtally based on official French and British sources.

As of Sunday, some 19,135 people had crossed the Channel from France so far in 2026, down 42 percent year-on-year.