Hundreds of asylum seekers, including at least 41 children whose ages are disputed, have disappeared after being sent to France under the “one in, one out” deal, human rights organisations have said.
The pilot scheme was called “groundbreaking” by former prime minister Keir Starmer when he and French president Emmanuel Macron announced it in July 2025. Under a treaty drawn up for the agreement, small-boat asylum seekers are forcibly returned to France in exchange for others brought legally to the UK from France.
‘I would rather die than return to France’: the brutal reality of the UK’s one in, one out scheme
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The deal is due to expire on 1 October, and it is not yet known what, if anything, will replace it.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is reportedly pushing for the deal to be extended and expanded, and the French government has said it wants the scheme to be widened across Europe rather than France having to accept small-boat returnees alone.
One French politician told the Guardian that France’s attempts to persuade other countries to take back a share of small-boat asylum seekers had so far received a negative response.
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A refugee folding a blanket at a makeshift camp on the outskirts of Calais. Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Getty Images
About 1,400 small-boat arrivals have been returned to France since September 2025 — just 4% of the 32,000 who have crossed the Channel since the deal was signed. These figures do not include the significant minority who have come back to the UK a second time, some of whom are now living under the radar here. The UK and France amended the treaty to allow people returning to the UK in lorries to be sent back to France a second time.
At a meeting in parliament this week chaired by Mike German, a general rapporteur on asylum and migration policy for the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, and Alex Sobel, the new chair of parliament’s joint committee on human rights, NGO representatives working on the ground told parliamentarians about the disappearances and other concerns about the scheme.
Maddie Harris, director of the Humans For Rights Network, said several NGOs had together compiled a list of at least 41 children and young people whose ages are disputed and who they claimed had been unlawfully returned to France. It is unlawful to detain lone children in adult immigration detention centres, and they are excluded from the one in, one out treaty.
The Home Office disputed this and told the Guardian: “This is categorically untrue. Nobody has been returned to France where their age is in dispute.
“Every detained person is advised of their right to legal representation and how they can obtain such representation within 24 hours of arrival at an immigration removal centre. Age assessments are carried out to maintain the integrity of our border, while ensuring those genuinely under 18 receive the appropriate support.”
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A screengrab from video issued by the Home Office shows Border Force officers processing small-boat migrants, including biometric and security checks, before their relocation to an immigration removal centre to await their return to France. Photograph: Home Office/PA
However, the prisons and detention Independent Monitoring Boards have reported that almost a hundred children had been identified as unlawfully detained as adults for the scheme. The IMBs’ interim chair, Jane Leech, attended the meeting and raised concerns that some people were being unlawfully detained for the scheme because the Home Office was “detaining more people than they can remove”.
French politicians have told the Guardian that only 200 people forcibly returned to France were still in contact with the authorities there, with hundreds of others having gone underground in countries across Europe.
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The Guardian has inteI interviewed dozens of returnees who are no longer in contact with the French authorities and are living underground in Europe. They say they have disappeared because of hostility from the French authorities, pressure to return to their home countries where they believe they will be unsafe, or the threat of being forced back to other European countries such as Bulgaria that they passed through on their journeys. Home Office sources said that what happened to people once they were returned to France was a matter for the French authorities. France’s interior ministry declined to comment on the disappearances. View image in fullscreen Border Force officers processing small-boat arrivals detained under the one in, one out deal at the Manston immigration centre in Kent. Photograph: Home Office/PA Harris said the forced return of lone children to France was “shameful”. She said: “We support many children detained under this scheme and attempt to secure their release. However, at least 41 children have been removed from the UK to France and their whereabouts is currently unknown. The vast majority of these children have experienced acute violence and exploitation and are now without protection somewhere in Europe.” Nihal Osman, a programme coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières, told the parliamentary meeting that asylum seekers were returned to France from the UK in a “deeply concerning” condition, with many displaying severe psychological symptoms such as flashbacks, acute anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and psychological breakdown. “What we are witnessing is the accumulation of trauma on trauma,” she said. Sobel said he was “deeply concerned” about the ongoing securitisation of the French border to prevent asylum seekers crossing the Channel to the UK. “The French police are doing things it would be unacceptable for British police to do,” he said.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the topic of asylum seekers sent from the UK to France going missing according to NGOs
1 What is this story about
Its about reports from charities saying that many asylum seekers who were sent from the UK to France have disappeared and can no longer be found
2 Why were asylum seekers sent from the UK to France
Usually this happens under a rule that says the first safe country an asylum seeker reaches should handle their claim If someone passed through France before reaching the UK the UK may try to send them back there
3 Who are the NGOs reporting this
They are nongovernmental organizationscharities and aid groups that work with migrants and refugees They track what happens to people after they are moved
4 What does gone missing mean here
It means the people can no longer be contacted or located They may have left the shelters dropped out of the system or moved elsewhere without telling authorities
5 Why are they going missing
Common reasons include fear of being detained again lack of proper housing no clear plan for their case and wanting to reach family or jobs in other countries
6 Is this a new problem
No Similar disappearances have been reported before when asylum seekers are moved between countries It often happens when support systems are weak
7 How many people are we talking about
NGOs say hundreds Exact numbers are hard to confirm because tracking people after they are moved is difficult
8 What do the UK and French governments say
Their responses vary Often they say they follow the law and work with authorities but they may not comment on specific missingperson cases
9 What problems does this cause
It puts vulnerable people at risk of homelessness exploitation or trafficking It also makes it harder for them to get legal help or a fair hearing
10 What can be done to stop this
Better communication safe housing clear legal information and followup support after transfer NGOs also want more transparency from governments
11 What is an asylum seeker
Someone who has left their country and is asking another country for protection because they fear danger at home
12 What is the difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee
An asylum seeker is still waiting for a decision
