UN Experts Demand Halt to UK-France Asylum Deal, Citing Rights Violations

UN Experts Demand Halt to UK-France Asylum Deal, Citing Rights Violations United Nations human rights experts have formally demanded the United Kingdom and France abandon a controversial asylum agreement, warning it breaches international law [69103]. In a letter sent to both governments in December 2025, nine UN specialists identified potential legal violations in the "one in, one out" scheme, which allows the UK to return some migrants who cross the English Channel while France can send one asylum seeker to the UK for processing per person returned [69103]. The experts gave London and Paris 60 days to respond but made their letter public after receiving no satisfactory reply [69103]. The UN now calls for the agreement to end entirely, urging both countries to adhere to their human rights obligations [69103]. The warning highlights a growing pattern of UN bodies challenging state actions on human rights grounds. In a separate case, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called for the suspension of a sovereignty deal between the UK and Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago [20863]. The committee insists the agreement must not proceed until the right of the forcibly displaced Chagossian people to return to their homeland is guaranteed [20863]. Both governments must report back on steps taken to address this within one year [20863]. Meanwhile, other UN experts have accused Indian authorities of violating international law in Jammu and Kashmir through practices including arbitrary arrests, property demolitions, and communication blackouts following counter-terrorism operations [12511]. The experts claim these measures amount to collective punishment targeting Muslim minorities and have called on India to end the practices [12511]. UN Experts: UK-France Asylum Deal May Break Human Rights Law UN Committee Urges Halt to Chagos Deal, Backs Islanders' Right to Return UN Experts Allege Human Rights Violations in Indian Counter-Terrorism Operations