Major new migrant swap deal with France not ruled out - what would change

A minister has refused to rule out the UK reaching a migrant swap deal with France.

The Government is reportedly in negotiations with the French government about a new exchange agreement. This would see a person who came by small boat deported to France and another with a legitimate case to come to the UK arrive.

Talks on the "one-for-one principle" agreement are ongoing, it is claimed. Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said 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." Ms Greenwood said stopping small boat crossings would "involve conversations with our counterparts on the European continent".

Pressed on the returns agreement, the Government minister 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".

The Financial Times reports that under the deal being discussed the UK could accept an individual who has a right to be in Britain. This would include people with a legitimate case for family reunification.

The UK has been seeking a returns agreement with Europe. As part of the EU, Britian had a legal process to return asylum seekers to European nations, but this was lost with Brexit.

A Home Office spokesperson 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 cooperation.

"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."