France’s Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau (R) and Britain’s Secretary of State for the Home Department Yvette Cooper deliver a joint press conference to address the ongoing migrant crisis and the fight against smugglers in Le Touquet, northen France, on February 27, 2025.
Franck Crusiaux / AFP
It is possible that no returns will take place through the entire month of August.
Britain’s new migration deal with France ‘came into effect’ today, August 5th. Although already this morning, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has refused to commit to any returns taking place through the whole of this month.
Not that this small number of returns—maybe 50 a week, which is the equivalent of just one in 17 of those arriving—will make much of a difference anyway, given that a reportedly legal migrant will be sent from France to Britain for every illegal migrant sent the other way.
The fact the European Commission has given the “green light on this innovative approach” is unlikely to fill voters with much confidence.
During a media round in which she was supposed to promote the benefits of this scheme, Cooper dodged questions about when the first exchanges will take place, saying only that ministers “want” the first detentions to happen “in a matter of days” and “want” also “to see returns taking place in a matter of weeks.”
'But you're unable to say August?'
The UK-France migration deal comes into force today. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wants to see returns 'in a matter of weeks', but refuses to confirm for @NickFerrariLBC if that means this month. pic.twitter.com/df13Vw3DpG
The home secretary added that “we are ready to resist any legal challenge that comes forward” relating to returns, even though it—as well as the preceding government—has been bad at doing this in the recent past.
Ministers would be able to make a more convincing case about their readiness if they withdrew Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights, which continually blocks deportations of foreign criminals for the most ridiculous reasons. But Prime Minister Keir Starmer insists this will “never” happen under his watch.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
