News Comment: UK–France pilot arrangement

UNHCR welcomes the pilot announced today between the United Kingdom (UK) and France, aimed at addressing irregular movements of refugees and migrants across the Channel as an important initiative. If appropriately implemented, it could help achieve a more managed and shared approach, offering alternatives to dangerous journeys, while upholding access to asylum.

As the number of refugees forced to flee their homes continues to rise globally, principled cooperation between states is more essential than ever to ensure they are protected. At the same time, it is crucial to address the complex challenges posed by mixed migrant and refugee flows and ensure that border arrangements are both effective and rights-compliant.

While the full details are not yet available, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, understands that under the proposal, a number of people arriving irregularly across the Channel to the UK would be transferred back to France, where they will have the possibility to claim asylum. Voluntary, lawful transfers of an equivalent number of individuals from France to the UK would also be facilitated enabling successful applicants to present an asylum claim in the UK.

Precise operational details of the scheme have yet to be disclosed, and these will be critical in determining how the agreement is implemented in practice. However, if implemented in line with international law, standards and safeguards, the pilot could offer access to protection to asylum-seekers and refugees on both sides of the Channel, with the UK and France demonstrating a shared responsibility and commitment to supporting people fleeing war, violence and persecution.

In recent years, the number of people attempting the dangerous Channel crossing has been rising, putting lives at risk. 2024 was the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings, with at least 86 deaths recorded linked to attempted or actual crossings. Men, women and children continue to risk their lives at the hands of smugglers and traffickers. As of 06 July this year, around 21,117 people have already made the crossing and tragically, at least 14 people have lost their lives at sea.

UNHCR recalls that refugees fleeing conflict, instability and persecution make up a high proportion of those travelling to the UK on small boats – with people from Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Iran and Sudan the top five nationalities arriving in the last 12 months (according to UK Home Office data). The proposed pilot engages primarily with the last part of their journeys.

UNHCR encourages partners to adopt a comprehensive approach to mixed migration, and calls on States to work with the countries where refugees first arrive, and along the routes they travel, to ensure they can find protection and rebuild their lives without taking treacherous onward journeys – and for some, to access protection in the UK, France and elsewhere through safe, legal pathways. Addressing the causes of flight from countries of origin is also crucial. Global aid cuts, now biting, risk fuelling instability and desperation; and focusing on the Channel alone risks overlooking the real drivers of dangerous journeys.

UNHCR has consistently noted the importance of regional cooperation to effectively manage mixed flows of refugees and migrants and enable good border management while providing access to international protection. We hope that this pilot arrangement may pave the way over time for wider cooperation between the UK and the EU and other Member States in line with international law and in the spirit of responsibility sharing.

For more information, please contact:

In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

• Maeve Patterson, [email protected], +44 7880 230985

In France:

• Hélène Caux, [email protected] and Josselin Brémaud, [email protected], +33 6 95 39 15 18

In Geneva:

• Eleni Biza, [email protected], +41 783378082