UK — An asylum seeker brought to the UK under the 'one in, one out' scheme stated he feels it is unjust that his admission required another asylum seeker to be sent back to France.

Under the scheme, one asylum seeker who reached the UK on a small boat is returned to France in exchange for another being brought legally to Britain. People traveling from France to the UK by small boat are considered eligible for return to France under this policy. "I am very happy to be here, but it's not fair that another asylum seeker who may have a very similar case to mine but arrived in a small boat has been sent back to France so I can come here legally," the asylum seeker said. "I don't support sending some people back to France so that others like me can come to the UK."

More than 900 people have been allowed into the UK to apply for asylum under the scheme since it was announced in July of the previous year. A similar number of people who arrived in the UK irregularly have been moved out under the program. The charity Safe Passage condemned the policy as "not a genuine route to protection."

The asylum seeker described his legal journey to the UK from Paris by plane as safer and speedier compared to crossings made by individuals in small boats. He applied for the scheme online, and authorities in Paris collected biometrics and passports before applicants were taken to a hotel. There, they waited to learn if temporary visas for air travel to the UK were approved. Those whose visas were approved were then transported to the airport in Paris and flown to the UK. Upon arrival in Britain, he and the others in his group were taken to a Home Office building, where staff conducted interviews.

He is currently residing in a hotel alongside other single men who arrived in the UK through the legal process. The asylum seeker indicated that the Home Office is not allowing asylum seekers to work or study. He applied for a university scholarship but was informed he was ineligible due to his asylum seeker status. While waiting for his main asylum interview, he is engaged in volunteering.

Why It Matters

The "one in, one out" scheme directly links legal entry for some asylum seekers to the deportation of others. The French national assembly's commission of inquiry into UK-France migration arrangements noted that as of February 2026, 89% of those brought to the UK under the scheme were single men aged 20 to 39. While small boat crossings have decreased, the scheme has not yet acted as a deterrent, according to the inquiry. Channel crossings in the first five months of the current year are down by more than one-third compared to the same period last year, though more than 2,000 people crossed the Channel last month. In June 2025, 3,665 people crossed the Channel.