
The UK-France returns agreement, modern slavery claims, and what the courts have decided so far
In July 2025, the UK and France made a returns agreement. This type of agreement sets out how people who move across borders without permission can be sent back, and how each country will handle who they take in return. Under the deal, people who crossed the Channel into Britain could be returned to France. In exchange, France would send to the UK the same number of people with family links in Britain. The agreement was described as reciprocal, but it was quickly challenged in court.