The two leaders also announced bilateral deals covering defense, nuclear cooperation and plans for supporting Ukraine
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (U.K.) – Keir Starmer, and the President of France – Emmanuel Macron, have announced a new agreement, ‘One In, One Out’, to curb illegal migration.
The announcement was made during Macron’s 3-day state visit to the U.K. The two leaders also announced bilateral deals covering defence, nuclear cooperation and plans for supporting Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Under the new ‘One In, One Out’ scheme, the U.K. will deport undocumented migrants who arrive in small boats to France, in exchange for resettling an equal number of legitimate asylum seekers with family ties to the U.K.
The agreement remains contingent on legal approvals from the European Union (E.U.) institutions. The initial returns may be limited to around 50 people per week or 2,600 annually, a modest number compared to the more than 35,000 who arrived by small boats last year. So far in 2025, over 21,000 people have made the perilous crossing, a record for this point in the year.
Addressing a Joint Press Conference, Starmer said, “I’m pleased to announce our agreement today on a groundbreaking returns pilot. For the very first time, migrants arriving in small boats will be detained and returned to France in short order. This will show others trying to make the same journey that it will be in vain.”
Taking it to X, Starmer posted,
For the very first time, migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 10, 2025
This Government is breaking the business model of criminal smuggling gangs and securing our borders.
The policy, which is similar to a scheme used by the E.U. and Turkey, carries risks for Macron from his right-wing political critics, who may question why he has agreed to take back migrants wanting to live in Britain. Macron also used the platform to reiterate his criticism of Brexit, noting that it had undermined rather than improved the U.K.’s ability to manage illegal immigration.
Macron urged the U.K. to address so-called “migration pull factors,” such as access to work without legal status. Starmer responded by touting a nationwide crackdown on illegal employment, which he described as “completely unprecedented in scale.”
Beyond migration, the summit underscored a renewed commitment to Franco-British alignment on global security. Both leaders participated in a joint call with the “coalition of the willing”, a group of nations committed to supporting Ukraine post-ceasefire. Starmer pressed the importance of preparing for negotiations with Moscow while bolstering Ukraine’s military readiness.
Paris will serve as the coalition’s initial headquarters, with the UK set to take over after the first year. The group will coordinate efforts to rebuild Ukraine’s land forces, protect its airspace, and secure maritime routes.
The two countries also signed an agreement to deepen nuclear collaboration. For the first time, the pact allows for strategic coordination of the U.K. and France’s nuclear deterrents, a move hailed by both leaders as a significant step forward for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) defence integration.
