We heard a great deal about the one-in-one-out agreement before President Macron paid his state visit. In the event, while our prime Minister and Home Secretary have boasted that a “groundbreaking initiative is a pivotal moment in a new phase of UK-France cooperation…….” It is worth repeating here what Sir Keir Starmer said about the deal:
“I’m pleased to announce our agreement today on a groundbreaking returns pilot. For the very first time, migrants arriving via small boat…will be detained and returned to France – in short order. In exchange for every return, a different individual will be allowed to come here via a safe route, controlled and legal, subject to strict security checks and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally. This will show others trying to make the same journey that it will be in vain. And the jobs they’ve been promised in the UK will no longer exist – because of the nationwide crackdown we’re delivering on illegal working – which is on a completely unprecedented scale. The President and I have agreed that this pilot will be implemented in coming weeks. Now, I know some people will still ask – why should we take anyone in? So let me address that directly. We accept genuine asylum seekers – because it is right that we offer a haven to those in most dire need. But there is also something else here, something more practical, which is that we simply cannot solve a challenge like stopping the boats by acting alone and telling our allies that we won’t play ball. That is why today’s agreement is so important.”
To be clear, this is an agreement in principle only, which still has to be “legally verified” by Britain, France and the EU. Moreover, some EU member states have already raised objections (Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece and Cyprus – so far), fearing that those returned to France by Britain could end up back in the countries where they originally entered the EU, as was supposed to happen under the Dublin Convention arrangements, when we invariably ended up taking more migrants than we sent to other EU member states. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, here’s what Tony Smith, a former Border Force head, had to say about both the one in, one out deal and the Dublin Convention.
Also unclear is how the scheme will work in practice. We suspect the government hasn’t yet worked this out either. It seems those arriving illegally in small boats will be detained on arrival and some 50 a week will be selected for removal back to France. Meanwhile, migrants already in France will be able to apply online in France to come to the UK and if successful, will be swapped for someone who has made it to the UK – assuming France is willing to accept them. At the rate of 50 a week, we would have returned to France 2,600 of the nearly 45,000 who have crossed in the year since Keir Starmer moved into No 10 Downing St. but given we would have received the same number back, we would still have 45,000 people seeking refuge.
Will the scheme work? Will the boats stop coming? Will the gangs be put out of business? Non, non, et non! Here’s what we said in our press release on Thursday following the PM’s and President’s joint press conference:
The returns deal, as reported, is a nonsense. 50 migrants per week will be returned to France and the French will gift us 50 back, so it makes absolutely no difference to total numbers crossing the Channel. Of the 45,000 or so who have made their way here since Sir Keir Starmer took office, just 2,600 would have been returned to France, and the same number would have been sent to us. We would still be left with 45,000 to house and look after. The British people are being taken for a ride.
Chairman of Migration Watch UK, Alp Mehmet, said:
“This is a lame deal which simply helps the EU distribute asylum seekers – mostly young men – who break into the bloc. Our prime minister has either been conned or he simply doesn’t understand what’s going on. Migrants and traffickers will be heartened not deterred. The British public deserves better than this kick in the teeth.”
This agreement (in principle) with France is little more than a distraction. It will attract more migrants to France in the belief that there is a path into Britain, it will take up resources that could be put to better use, it will add to the cost of border control and ultimately the asylum system. And, as with other measures and legislation (like the pointless Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill now reaching its final parliamentary stages) that the Starmer administration has come up with, It will most likely encourage illegal immigration rather than deter it. The only way to end this crisis is to make it clear that asylum claims from all migrants crossing the Channel will be rejected automatically followed by removal to France, a safe third country or back to the migrant’s country of origin.