Migrants: the European Commission will “study” the terms of the Franco-British agreement

Brussels – Considering that “the increasing number of migrants crossing the Channel illegally is alarming and requires a robust response,” a spokesperson for the European executive, Markus Lammert, announced that “regarding the specific cooperation envisaged between France and the United Kingdom, the Commission would assess the concrete terms of this agreement.”

The agreement announced on Thursday, which still needs to be submitted to the European Commission before being signed, is based on the principle of “one for one.”

It provides for the return to France of a migrant arriving in the United Kingdom by small boat, in exchange for which London commits to accept a migrant located in France who expresses a desire, via an online platform, to settle in the United Kingdom and justifies having ties to that country.

In June, five countries – Spain, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Cyprus – had expressed their “concern,” fearing that France would then send the migrants back to the first EU country in which they arrived.

More than 21,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since the beginning of the year, a record level. (July 11, 2025)