France and the United Kingdom have agreed to extend their bilateral migrant returns arrangement, known as Operation Hillmore, until 1 October 2026, French minister for European affairs Benjamin Haddad confirmed to a parliamentary committee in Paris on Wednesday.
The scheme, which entered into force in September 2025, operates on a 'one-in, one-out' principle: Britain can send back to France certain migrants who arrive illegally via small boats across the English Channel and are deemed ineligible to stay. In exchange, the UK accepts an equivalent number of asylum seekers from France who are considered likely to qualify for protection, with priority given to vulnerable nationalities and individuals with family or other ties to the UK.
As of 1 May 2026, Haddad reported that 606 migrants had been readmitted to France under the agreement, while 588 people had been legally transferred from France to the United Kingdom. UK Home Office figures show that 16,910 people crossed the Channel in small boats between 1 September 2025 and 31 March 2026. This means the returns programme has covered roughly 3.5% of arrivals—far below the deterrent effect that the British government had hoped for.
Political Pressure Mounts in London
The issue remains a significant political challenge for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government. Starmer, who took office in July 2024, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood have faced mounting pressure to reduce arrivals, with the anti-immigration Reform UK party continuing to perform strongly in opinion polls. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the policy as a 'total joke' and has pledged mass deportations of asylum seekers if elected.
More than 41,000 migrants arrived on England’s south coast in 2025, the second-highest annual total since records began in 2018. Overall, 197,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since the route emerged as a major migration pathway. France has long been a departure point for migrants seeking to reach Britain, many paying smugglers thousands of euros for a place on overcrowded inflatable boats to navigate one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
The UK has announced a series of new measures through the Immigration and Asylum Bill last month, aiming to reduce the period asylum seekers can remain in the country by 50% and expedite removals of individuals from countries deemed safe. The extension of Operation Hillmore comes as European partners continue to grapple with migration management, including efforts to strengthen human rights safeguards for return hubs, as discussed by Cypriot ministers in Brussels.
The agreement’s limited scope underscores the broader challenges facing EU member states and the UK in managing irregular migration. While bilateral deals like this one offer a framework for cooperation, the numbers suggest that deterrence alone is insufficient. The extension until October 2026 provides both governments more time to assess the policy’s effectiveness, but critics argue that without addressing root causes—such as conflict, poverty, and climate change—the flows will persist.
