What is the France-Royle-Uni agreement on the exchange of migrants that comes into force this Tuesday?

The Franco-British agreement providing for the return to France of migrants who arrived by Petit Bateau in the United Kingdom in exchange for the shipment across the Channel of migrants in France. Meanwhile, comes into force on Tuesday, the British Interior Ministry announced on Monday. Moreover, At the end of the third day of a state visit by Emmanuel Macron. Similarly, on July 10, many subjects had been discussed: defense, nuclear and immigration.

The agreement aims to dissuade crossings of the English Channel on precarious boats organized by smugglers’ networks. Similarly, For an undocumented migrants returned to France, the United Kingdom says it is ready to, in return, welcome another. Moreover, It can only be people responding to the criteria of asylum applications and family reunification.

The two governments signed the “final text last week”. Furthermore, what france-royle-uni agreement exchange migrants the European Commission “gave its green light to this innovative approach to discourage illegal immigration,” the home office said in a statement. Similarly, The British Interior Ministry says it is ready to place in “in the coming days” of first migrants likely. to be sent to France.

A controversial agreement – What france-royle-uni agreement exchange migrants

Each year, these are nearly 35,000 illegal entries on British soil which are identified. Since the beginning of 2025. 25,400 migrants have arrived in the United Kingdom, a record number and phenomenon that the Labor government of Keir Starmer has been trying to stem. The migrants taken up by France will only be those who arrived in the United Kingdom in “small boat” (Small boat). whose asylum request is deemed inadmissible.

For his part. London will accept migrants who have made a request on online platforms, by giving priority to nationalities of targeted nationalities by smugglers what france-royle-uni agreement exchange migrants and people with links with the United Kingdom. New arrivals will be submitted, on both sides of the round, to a complete security examination.

Mariam, Somali mother who tried to cross with her children, deplore the actions of the French authorities. “The French police officers broke the boat,” she says. “They said to us: ‘Learn, you have to be lucky’. The police say that it is to save us, but they make us take risks. Here, it is not sure. The United Kingdom is better than here. We are not sleeping in the jungle”.

The project arouses many criticisms by certain elected officials from the north of France. The latter estimating the system that is too favorable to the British. On the other hand, migrant assistance associations judge the agreement as going against international texts on the protection of refugees.

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