Nearly 100 children detained as adults under UK-France migration deal
Summary
Nearly 100 children were wrongly held as adults under a UK-France migration deal that sends some people arriving by small boats back to France. The deal aims to return equal numbers between the two countries, but many children were detained longer than allowed and faced poor treatment, including health care problems and separation from family.Key Facts
- Out of 304 people whose ages were disputed, 94 (31%) were actually minors but were held as adults.
- The "one in, one out" migration deal started in August 2025 to return some small boat arrivals to France while accepting the same number from France.
- Children should not be detained under the scheme, and unaccompanied children’s detention is usually limited to 24 hours.
- Some detainees waited over six months for deportation, though the policy allows only up to 28 days in exceptional cases.
- People with serious health issues like tuberculosis were still being prepared for removal to France.
- Several detained individuals were separated from family members, which caused harm.
- Age assessments took a long time, sometimes over 40 days after arrival at detention centers.
- From August 2025 to June 2026, 1,087 people were returned to France, while nearly 28,000 arrived in the UK by small boats.
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