Migrants push a boat in an attempt to reach the United Kingdom, November 6, 2025, in Gravelines, northern France. JEAN-FRANCOIS BADIAS / AP
Should France have sought approval from Parliament on the "one in, one out" agreement it reached with the United Kingdom at the end of July? Should Parliament have ratified the bill that called for an exchange of migrants between the two countries, in an effort to discourage those seeking to cross the Channel in small inflatable boats?
On Wednesday, December 10, France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, considered a legal challenge brought by 16 non-profit organizations seeking to annul the agreement between London and Paris (formalized in a presidential decree on August 11 and valid until June 2026). They argued the government had failed to comply with Article 53 of the Constitution, which states that treaties "that commit state finances, that modify legislative provisions, that relate to personal status, or that involve the transfer, exchange, or addition of territory, may only be ratified or approved by virtue of a law."
Subscribers only
France-UK migrant return agreement challenged in French court
