LBC halted for breaking migrant news - but expert deals huge blow

LBC host Ben Kentish reacted to Sir Keir Starmer's "one-in-one-out" migrant deal which came into force on Tuesday (August 5). The pilot agreement, which was announced during Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK last month, will see some people who have crossed the Channel sent back to France in exchange for taking some asylum seekers with ties to Britain. Despite the large numbers of migrants entering the country there have been reports under the scheme only 50 people a week will be returned to France.

Speaking on his programme on Monday night Ben began: "Breaking news tonight from the government in the last ten minutes, they have announced that the treaty they signed with France a couple of weeks ago now. A one-in-one-out policy on asylum seekers will come into force tomorrow." He was then joined by migration expert Zoe Jardiniere, who gave insight into the impact the policy will have on illegal crossings across the Channel.

She explained: "So the treaty essentially, is a cooperation agreement with the French. It's in a pilot phase that they're opening up tomorrow. And what they're going to do is return one person - who has crossed the Channel in a small boat - to France.

In exchange for bringing in one person who has not crossed in a small boat presumably, otherwise would have, to the UK through a safe and legal route."

The expert continued: "It gets one very basic thing right, which is to acknowledge that there's no feasible way of cooperating with France in order to prevent small boat crossings, without recognising we need to play our role and take our fair share of people from France too."

In a huge blow to the UK, she further added, "The French are not simply going to agree to a deal where it's like, 'No, you [France] just deal with everything,' and we deal with nothing."

Zoe also shared a further impact the migrant deal could potentially impact the UK.

"On the other hand," she explained, "the one-in-one-out part just doesn't work."

"Because if your safe route to come to the UK is dependent on somebody else risking their life in the Channel, and then being detained and then returned again, essentially as soon as it starts to work and people don't go in the Channel in theory, then there's no more places on the safe route."

It comes as 2025 is on course to be a record year for crossings.

Approximately 25,436 people have already made the journey this year, according to PA news agency analysis of Home Office figures - 49% higher than at the same point in 2024.