Keir Starmer’s government is facing fresh criticism after an asylum seeker deported to France under the one in one out scheme returned to Britain on a small boat.
The man, whose case has raised serious questions about the one in one out scheme, is now being held at an immigration detention centre while officials move to expedite his removal.
The Home Office confirmed it is investigating how someone expelled under the one in one out scheme managed to cross the Channel again amid rising migration numbers this year.
Only forty-two migrants have been returned so far under the controversial one in one out scheme, unveiled with great fanfare by Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.
Under the deal, for every migrant sent back to France via the one in one out scheme, a registered asylum seeker is permitted to travel legally to Britain from France.
Starmer hailed the bilateral arrangement as a “breakthrough moment” that would “turn the tables on people smugglers.” Yet the recent breach has shaken confidence in the one in one out scheme.
Downing Street admitted on Wednesday that the arrangement was not a “silver bullet” for the migrant crisis, as the total arrivals by small boats this year already surpassed last year’s figures.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the government’s handling of the one in one out scheme, saying ministers appeared “in total chaos” and “too weak to take tough decisions to secure our borders.”
In a scathing statement, Badenoch accused Starmer’s team of “naivety and failure,” claiming the one in one out scheme “was always destined to collapse under the weight of poor planning and bad policy.”
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood, however, hit back, blaming the previous Conservative government for leaving “our borders in crisis.” She said Britain was “still living with the consequences.”
“These figures are shameful – the British people deserve better,” Mahmood said. “We’ve detained and removed more than 35,000 people here illegally, but we must go further and faster.”
She added: “I will do whatever it takes to restore order to our border.” Her remarks were seen as a defence of the one in one out scheme despite rising criticism.
The deported asylum seeker, who later re-entered Britain on a small boat, told The Guardian that he had been a victim of modern slavery at the hands of traffickers in northern France.
Currently held at an immigration facility, the Home Office said it would “expedite” his case, reinforcing the government’s commitment to uphold the one in one out scheme and prevent abuse of its process.
“If I had felt that France was safe for me, I would never have returned to the UK,” the man told the newspaper, underscoring the humanitarian complexities behind the one in one out scheme.
The embarrassing development came as Starmer met Western Balkans leaders in London to secure fresh measures to reduce illegal migration flows through Europe into Britain.
The one in one out scheme was meant to symbolise a new era of cooperation between the UK and France, but the latest case has renewed doubts about its long-term effectiveness.
Some 22,000 people were smuggled through the Western Balkans last year, while the number of small-boat arrivals in Britain has already exceeded the 2024 total of 36,816.
In 2024, small-boat crossings accounted for just four percent of total immigration but represented more than eighty percent of unauthorised entries to the UK, according to official Home Office figures.
A government spokesperson said: “We will not accept any abuse of our borders and will do everything in our power to remove those without the legal right to be here.”
“Individuals who are returned under the pilot and subsequently attempt to re-enter the UK illegally will be removed,” the Home Office insisted, defending the one in one out scheme despite criticism.
Foreign minister Hamish Falconer, speaking from a migrant processing centre in Algeria, warned that “simple slogans” and “quick fixes” would not resolve the complexities of the migrant crisis.
“We’ve got to recognise just how complex these migration flows are, how much they are underpinned by illicit finance and criminal gangs,” Falconer said of the challenges facing the one in one out scheme.
He continued: “We’re serious about not only stopping the boats but going further up the chain to dismantle smuggling networks in places like Algeria and Guinea.”
Falconer argued that the one in one out scheme must be complemented by deeper cooperation with European and African nations to attack the criminal business model behind illegal crossings.
After his meeting, Starmer announced travel bans and asset freezes targeting gang members and financiers linked to a Kosovan passport forgery ring aiding migrant smuggling into the UK.
“There’s a criminal route through the Western Balkans bringing illegal migrants to the UK,” Starmer said. “We’re determined to shut it down by working with our European partners.”
Despite the strong rhetoric, opposition parties and some NGOs have accused the Labour government of relying too heavily on the one in one out scheme, calling it “symbolic rather than substantial.”
Migration rights groups said the scheme fails to address the root causes of irregular migration, including conflict, economic deprivation, and unsafe conditions for asylum seekers stranded in France.
Humanitarian observers also questioned whether the one in one out scheme violates international asylum obligations by effectively creating an exchange system for human lives.
A senior migration analyst at the Refugee Council said, “This case shows the scheme’s inherent flaws. Desperation will always defeat deterrence if safety and fairness aren’t guaranteed.”
Critics within Labour have quietly expressed concern that the one in one out scheme could backfire politically if more deported migrants manage to return to the UK through illegal routes.
Meanwhile, the prime minister’s aides insist that the one in one out scheme is still “in its early stages” and will deliver results as joint enforcement with France expands in the coming months.
As political pressure mounts, Starmer’s vow to “smash the gangs” is increasingly viewed as a defining test of his leadership and credibility on national security and border control.
The symbolic one in one out scheme, designed to balance compassion with control, now risks becoming a liability for a government struggling to convince voters of its competence.
Analysts warn that unless the policy produces visible results soon, it could fuel further anger among both voters demanding tougher enforcement and progressives urging humanitarian reforms.
In the words of one Westminster insider, “The scheme was supposed to be Starmer’s Rwanda alternative — but it’s quickly turning into his Rwanda embarrassment.”
With migration again dominating headlines, the prime minister faces a difficult balancing act between maintaining international cooperation and meeting domestic expectations.
For now, the one in one out scheme remains both the centrepiece and the Achilles heel of Starmer’s immigration strategy, as critics wait to see whether it can truly withstand real-world pressure.
