Over 1,000 Migrants Cross English Channel Despite Third Deportation Under UK-France Migration Deal

Over 32,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel into the UK so far in 2025, setting a record for this point in the year. In response, the UK government, led by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and supported by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, has implemented a "one in, one out" deal with France, allowing the deportation of migrants arriving illegally by small boat in exchange for an equivalent number of asylum seekers arriving legally from France. So far, three individuals—a man from India, an Eritrean, and an Iranian—have been deported under this pilot scheme, with deportations expected to increase in the coming months. The government views these forcible returns as an "immediate deterrent" to illegal crossings, although opposition figures like Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticize the deal as ineffective and the number of returns as "pathetic." The UK also plans to begin flights carrying asylum seekers from France to the UK shortly, maintaining parity in arrivals and removals under the agreement. Despite these efforts, crossings continue at a high rate, underscoring the scale of the migration challenge faced by the current UK government.