A deal between Britain and France allowing the UK to return some of the migrants making clandestine crossings of the Channel to England came into force on Tuesday, reports Radio France Internationale.
The agreement, which was struck between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron during the latter's state visit to the UK last month, involves a "one-in, one-out" scheme to curb record levels of irregular Channel crossings.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and French interior minister Bruno Retailleau signed the final text last week, with the EU Commission giving its "green light on this innovative approach", the UK Home Office said in a press release.
UK authorities are "operationally ready" and migrant detentions are expected to begin "within days", it added.
Under the scheme, migrants arriving to UK shores on small boats may be detained and returned to France if they are deemed ineligible for asylum.
In exchange, the UK will accept an equal number of migrants from France who can apply for asylum via an online platform, giving priority to nationalities most vulnerable to smugglers and to people with ties in Britain.
The treaty governing the pilot scheme will remain in force until June 2026, with both countries committed to regularly reviewing the process.
Read more of this report from RFI.