UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK PM Keir Starmer confirms first migrant detentions under UK-France deal aimed at tackling illegal Channel crossings and returns.
As reported by The Independent, Sir Keir Starmer has announced that, under the newly implemented UK-France border deal, the first group of Channel-crossing migrants has been detained.
The initial detentions took place in Dover on Wednesday, 6 August, marking the launch of the pilot scheme.
What did Keir Starmer say about the migrant detention?
The prime minister posted on X,
“We have detained the first illegal migrants under our new deal before returning them to France. No gimmicks, just results. If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back.”
He added,
“If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back. When I say I will stop at nothing to secure our borders, I mean it.”
We have detained the first illegal migrants under our new deal before returning them to France.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 7, 2025
No gimmicks, just results. If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back.
When I say I will stop at nothing to secure our borders, I mean it.
What did Yvette Cooper say about migrant returns?
The Home Office confirmed that migrants who landed on Wednesday are now detained in immigration centres and will be returned to France.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated,
“Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after they arrived at Western Jet Foil and will now be held in detention until they can be returned to France.”
She added,
“That sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat. We are on track to do what no other government has done since this crisis first started – sending small boat arrivals back to France and strengthening our borders.”
The Home Office has stated that migrants with ongoing human rights claims will not be removed until their legal cases are decided by British courts.
The UK-France deal includes a clause that could delay deportations. Migrants cannot be returned if they have ongoing human rights claims. This mainly affects those arriving by small boats across the Channel.
What did Lisa Nandy say about sending migrants back to France?
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said,
“The deal that we’ve struck will allow people with us to send people back to France who have human rights claims. Those claims will be heard in France.”
She added,
“Obviously there are people who will try to frustrate the process through the courts, but we’re speeding up the court process to make sure that those delays will be minimal and we will be able to return people to France so that, if they have an asylum claim, for example, that claim can be heard in France if they’ve travelled through France on the way here on small boats.”
Who will bear the transport costs in the UK-France migrant deal?
Official documents show that Britain will cover the cost of transporting asylum seekers under Keir Starmer’s “one in, one out” agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The document said,
“All transport costs incurred in connection with readmission under this agreement shall be borne by the United Kingdom.”
It added,
“Those accepted for admittance [from France] … shall be provided by the United Kingdom with transport from a designated place to the United Kingdom (at the cost of the United Kingdom).”
Keir Starmer’s views on the UK-France deal
Keir Starmer stated,
“This ground-breaking deal is a crucial further step in turning the tide on illegal small boat crossings and restoring order to our immigration system. For the first time, illegal migrants will be sent back to France – targeting the heart of these gangs’ business model and sending a clear message that these life-threatening journeys are pointless.”
He added,
“By resetting our relationships across Europe, we’ve made levels of co-operation possible never seen before. This is about grip, not gimmicks, and what serious government looks like – taking down these criminal enterprises piece by piece as we secure our borders through my Plan for Change.”
Bruno Retailleau’s views on the UK-France migrant deal
France’s Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, said the new deal introduces a pilot program aimed at dismantling smuggling networks.
He described it as the EU’s first concrete step, initiated after the UK-EU summit held in London this May.
What does the UK government hope to achieve with its new Channel scheme?
Ministers remain hopeful the new plan will cut Channel crossings, as tensions over migration intensify across Britain.
Tensions are growing in the UK over housing asylum seekers in hotels. In Canary Wharf, London, police arrested several people during a protest outside one such hotel.
How many have crossed the Channel?
Record-high boat arrivals and an asylum backlog of over 75,000 have combined to fuel urgent demands for government action. Reform UK’s surge in the polls has further strengthened calls for a tougher approach.
Migrant arrivals have exceeded 25,000 this year, reaching the milestone earlier than any year since records began in 2018.