Britain has reached a new deal with the government of Iraq to allow for the return of irregular immigrants. The move is seen as part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's overall strategy to discourage small boat crossings to the UK -- but the opposition says it's not far-reaching enough.
The agreement is designed to introduce a formal process to return Iraqi nationals to their country who have arrived in the UK with no prior permission to stay in the country.
The UK Home Office said the accord will allow the "swift" return of "illegal migrants" who choose to come to the country using irregular means of travel, and is seen as the latest part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's initiative to clamp down on small boat arrivals on Britain's southern coast.
Starmer and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani had agreed earlier in the year to continue strengthening their co-operation on migration issues.
Last year already, the UK had signed a deal worth about 1 million euros with Baghdad to work together on fighting organized crime, especially migrant smuggling networks.
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A series of deals
Britain has signed a series of similar agreements with countries since the Labour Party came into power in July 2024, including with the governments of Albania and Vietnam.
Another deal signed recently with France is expected to further disincentivize people from seeking irregular entry into Britain.
Under the scheme, migrants who have arrived over the Channel from the French coast on small boats can be returned to the country to then be exchanged for a legitimate asylum seeker residing in France who can demonstrate a genuine family link to the UK.
Britain and Germany meanwhile also signed a treaty last month, which includes plans to make people smuggling to Britain a criminal offense in Germany.
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UK 'commitment' to Iraq
UK Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis signed the new deal during a trip to the UK by Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Faud Hussein.
Jarvis commented that the two nations were "building stronger relationships that benefit both our countries whilst tackling shared challenges like organized crime and irregular migration."
"This visit reinforces the strength of the UK-Iraq partnership and demonstrates our government's commitment to serious diplomacy that delivers real results," he added especially against the backdrop that the UK was one of the main countries supporting the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the subsequent war in the country until 2011, which saw tens of thousands of people killed and more displaced.
On its website, the Home Office itself stated that the agreement "aims to further deter small boat arrivals, while supporting the UK Government's wider commitment to restore order to the asylum system and recognizing the Government of Iraq's significant work to provide reintegration support to those returned."
UK expanding policies to stop irregular migration
The number of Iraqis reaching British shores by travelling on small boats from across the English Channel has fallen to 1,900 cases in the year to March 2025; this marks a downward trend compared to 2,600 instances in the same period last year.
The Home Office attributed this particular drop to the success of previous deals signed between the UK and Iraq, including trade deals worth over 13 billion euros, which are intended to strengthen the Iraqi economy, build critical infrastructure and thus dissuade locals from seeking opportunities elsewhere.
The Home Office also said it would look into other means to curb irregular arrivals from Iraq and elsewhere, such as the 'Deport First, Appeal Later' policy.
"The UK government is also expanding its 'Deport First, Appeal Later' scheme, nearly trebling from eight countries to 23, with foreign nationals now expected to be deported to their home countries before they can appeal against that decision," it said in a statement on its website.
According to the statement, this will especially increase the UK's "ability to remove foreign criminals at the earliest opportunity, and easing pressure on the detention and prison estate."
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Opposition calls Iraq deal a 'sham'
The opposition however has criticized the new deal with Iraq for accomplishing too little, too late.
Conservative Party shadow home secretary Chris Philp highlighted the fact that since Labour took over power last summer, over 50,000 migrants had made their way to the UK using irregular means, calling this development "the worst illegal immigration crisis in our history."
"Labour has surrendered our borders, and the consequences are being felt in our communities, from rising crime to shocking cases of rape and sexual assault by recent arrivals," Philip added, scathing Labour for introducing "a measly returns deal with Iraq" against the backdrop that "barely any small boat arrivals are Iraqi."
"It's a sham designed to look tough while crossings keep soaring," Philp commented.
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with dpa, PA