By Elizabeth Pineau and Elizabeth Piper LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced tougher migration controls on Thursday, ending a state visit with deals on defence,

According to the Times and the Sun, the UK will return 50 migrants a week to France under a pilot scheme that could be extended in the future. This means one in 17 migrants who arrive in small boats will be returned to France, according to the Times' calculations.

President Emmanuel Macron is on a state visit to Britain, the first by a French leader since 2008. His hosts are drenching him in pomp, pizazz and protocol.

In July 2025, after French President Emmanuel Macron made a state visit to the U.K., a claim (archived) circulated online that Macron broke royal protocol when he walked in front of King Charles III while inspecting British troops on July 8.

King Charles tells a state banquet held for French President Emmanuel Macron that the UK and France stand "ever closer" The King, who addressed guests in both English and French, also spoke of the need to tackle "irregular migration across the English Channel" It's a star-studded guestlist in Windsor this evening,

LONDON (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday urged Britain to stick close to its neighbors despite its exit from the European Union, saying France and the U.K. will “save Europe” by standing for democracy, law and international order in a dangerous world.

President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain, which began Tuesday, is heavy on pageantry. But both he and Prime Minister Keir Starmer hope for practical results.

The French president and his wife Brigitte were earlier greeted by Prince William and Catherine as they landed in the UK for a three-day trip.

The French Tricolor and Britain’s Union flag hang from the standards near Windsor Castle. The carriages are primed, the tiaras polished.

King Charles III will highlight the crucial bonds between the United Kingdom and France in the face of a “multitude of complex threats” as he welcomes President Emmanuel Macron for the first state visit by a European leader since Brexit.

The deal could see the UK returning some small boat migrants to France, with France sending other asylum seekers to the UK in return.

Brigitte Macron continued her tour of the U.K. alongside husband Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, with a banquet in London’s Guildhall on Wednesday. France’s first lady married subdued elegance with sparkling embellishments, favoring a gown with statement shoulders.