Britain can learn from France on migration

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Politics, Government, Daily News

4.4 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 August 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

It’s the big day for Starmer’s one-in, one-out migrant deal with France. The scheme, which was agreed during the state visit last month, comes into effect today – but Yvette Cooper and other figures in Whitehall remain suspiciously evasive when it comes to putting a number on returns to France. Immigration is, of course, the problem of highest salience across the country, and made even more pressing by recent riots at migrant hotels, giving far-right opposition parties plenty of ammunition. Polling shows that 40 per cent of Reform supporters would consider voting for Labour next time if the number of small boat arrivals fell. So, will it work? Will it prove a better deterrent than, say, the Rwanda deal?

This is undoubtedly a landmark agreement with France, and puts us in closer alliance with the French. Are there areas where we should be taking lessons from them – perhaps when it comes to our dealings with overseas terrorists, for example?

Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman and Madeline Grant.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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Transcript

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0:52.8	Hello and welcome to coffee house shotsots, the Spectator's Daily Politics Podcast. I'm Oskredminton,
1:00.0	and I'm joined by The Spectator's two newest signings, Tim Shipman and Madeline Grant. Now, it's the big day for Starmer's one-in-one-out migrant deal with France.
1:09.0	The scheme which was agreed during the state visit last month comes into effect today,
1:12.3	but Yvette Cooper is still refusing to put a number on migrant returns to France.
1:17.2	Tim, can you take us through some of the detail on this deal and whether you think it will actually work?
1:23.0	Well, that is the 64,000 frank question, isn't it, to drag us back to the historic past?
1:31.5	Look, I mean, this deal has been a while in the making.
1:35.2	It's supposed to be one in one out.
1:37.8	Basically, you will, if you come across on a boat from when this deal kicks in,
1:42.2	which we're told will be within a matter of days, you might
1:45.6	be detained.
1:46.7	You might not as well.
1:48.6	And if you are detained, you might then be sent back to France.
1:51.7	And in return, Britain has agreed to accept people from France who have family links
	...

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