France is said to have threatened to scrap the one in, one out deal, as Andy Burnham as desperately pleaded with Emmanuel Macron in an attempt to renew the agreement.
The Prime Minister was addressing concerns the French government is considering pulling the plug on the policy.
The deal is set to expire at the end of the month and both France and Britain have yet to reach an agreement to renew the arrangements.
One government source alleged the French were “on the verge of pulling out” of the talks.
Under the terms of the deal, France agreed to accept the return of individuals who had crossed the English Channel to the UK illegally, in exchange for the same number of approved asylum seekers being transferred from France to the UK.
However, the most recent figures show 1,400 migrants had been returned to France by the start of this month and the same number of asylum seekers were transferred to the UK under the terms of the agreement, reports The Times.
This represents around four per cent of the small boat migrants that have arrived since the deal started on August 6 last year.
Official figures suggest 32,549 migrants have arrived in small boats in the same time.
Andy Burnham issued a plea to the French President
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Sources on both sides of the Channel have suggested the French government is reluctant to make the deal permanent because they do not believe it is working.
In addition, France is struggling to deport migrants who have come back to France from the UK, leaving them stuck in limbo.
On top of all of this, next year’s French presidential election has made President Macron’s administration concerned about extending or expanding the agreement.
As a result, Mr Burnham issued a direct appeal to President Macron because he is understood to be keener to commit to the agreement than other members of his own Government.
Dinghies have been seized in Belgium
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On the other hand, Whitehall officials believe that the deal with France has helped deter some migrants, contributing to a genuine drop in the number of crossings since Labour came to power.
Since the beginning of the year, 17,281 migrants have arrived on small boats, a drop of 43 per cent compared with this time last year.
Also, the number of migrants crossing over the usually busy summer months dropped to its lowest level since 2020.
While the scheme aims to encourage genuine asylum seekers to apply to come to the UK legally rather than risk dangerous crossings, numbers are being slowed by France’s refusal to accept large numbers of small boat migrants.
Small boat crossings have hit their lowest levels
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A Home Office spokesman said: “The government’s agreement with France has been extended until autumn.
“This will ensure we will continue to remove migrants who arrive on small boats over the summer.”
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has agreed an intelligence sharing deal with Belgium in an effort to stop migrant boats launching from the country.
Ministers hope the agreement will help police in both countries to work faster against people smuggling and organised criminal networks.
Belgian officers will now also able to join the UK-France intelligence cell in northern France, the Home Office said.
The agreement was signed by Ms Mahmood and her Belgian counterpart Bernard Quintin on Wednesday.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed the UK-Belgium Law Enforcement
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Speaking about the deal, the Home Secretary said: “This agreement will help UK and Belgian police tighten the net around the criminal gangs behind small boat crossings.
“The migrant smuggling trade doesn’t start and stop on the beaches of northern France.
“These gangs operate across borders, so we’ll work with every international partner available to track them down, shut them down and bring them to justice.
“Our efforts are delivering results. Small boat crossings are down significantly. But we know there is much more to do. I will do whatever it takes to bear down on these vile criminals and bring them to justice.”