A Government minister has not ruled out plans for a migrant removals agreement with the French, which could see a person deported from the UK in exchange for France sending another individual across the English Channel.
The Financial Times reported that talks have begun to develop the pilot scheme based on “a one-for-one principle”.
A Home Office spokesman said the Government is “intensifying” its collaboration with France and other European countries.
Asked about the arrangement, transport minister Lilian Greenwood said on Wednesday that “there are discussions ongoing with the French government”, but did not say what a future deal could look like.
She told Sky News: “We are absolutely focused on fixing the broken asylum system that we have inherited from the Conservative government.
“That’s why we’ve got the (Border Security, Asylum and Immigration) Bill currently going through Parliament.
“We know that we’re only going to be able to fix that… It’s not a short-term issue, this is going to take really hard work to tackle those organised gangs that are preying on people, putting their lives in danger as they try to cross the Channel to the UK.
“Of course, that’s going to involve conversations with our counterparts on the European continent.”
Pressed on the returns agreement, Ms Greenwood said: “I can confirm that there are discussions ongoing with the French government about how we stop this appalling and dangerous trade in people that’s happening across the English Channel.”
She later said that “where people don’t have a right to be here, they need to be returned”.
Reports have suggested that where a migrant is sent to France, the UK could accept an individual who has a right to be in Britain, including people with a legitimate case for family reunification.
Speaking to GB News, Ms Greenwood claimed the previous Conservative government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda “delivered absolutely nothing but just cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds”.
Asked about there being “no deterrent”, she told the broadcaster: “We’ve come in, we’ve taken swift action in setting up the Border Security Command.
“We know that there are organised criminal gangs exploiting people who are absolutely desperate, and we are committed to smashing those gangs.”
More than 8,180 people are thought to have crossed the English Channel this year so far, after 119 crossings were recorded on Monday.
This was 31% higher than the same point last year (6,265), and 67% up at this stage in 2023 (4,899).
The Home Office spokesman said: “The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have been clear the UK and France must work closely together to prevent dangerous small boat crossings, particularly on vital law enforcement co-operation.
“We have already secured agreement from the French to deploy a new elite unit of officers at the coast, launch a specialist intelligence unit, increase police numbers and introduce new powers for the French authorities to intervene in shallow waters.
“We are intensifying our collaboration with France and other European countries who face the same challenges by exploring fresh and innovative measures to dismantle the business models of the criminal smuggling gangs.”
