A new report suggests allowing migrants to submit asylum applications to the UK from processing centres in France could reduce dangerous Channel crossings. The Future Governance Forum (FGF) proposes setting up centres near Calais where asylum seekers could apply legally instead of risking the journey by boat.
Under the plan, a monthly cap would limit how many people could enter the UK through this system. In return, France would accept an equal number of migrants who had already crossed illegally. This “one-for-one” approach mirrors a US policy that reduced border crossings by offering legal pathways from other countries.
The French interior ministry confirmed discussions with Britain about such a scheme in April. A pilot program would link family reunification cases to the return of undocumented migrants, possibly affecting applications from France.
Beth Gardiner-Smith, the report’s author, said processing applications for UK asylum directly from France would restore control to the system. “Refugees would have less incentive to risk boat crossings if they could get a decision while still in France,” she explained. The centres would also help filter out invalid claims before arrivals.
Currently, the UK struggles to return migrants without valid asylum claims, often because their home countries are unsafe or lack return agreements. The proposal aims to address this by assessing eligibility earlier.
The idea comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces pressure to reduce Channel crossings. Critics argue that without safe, legal pathways like processing UK asylum applications from France, current policies fail to deter dangerous journeys, while advocates stress the need for safe, legal alternatives.
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