UK and Iraq Agree New Pact to Accelerate Migrant Returns
The UK and Iraq have formalized a pact to fast-track the repatriation of migrants without legal status, expanding cooperation to dismantle smuggling networks and curb Channel crossings.
New Agreement Targets Migrant Returns
The UK government and Iraq have signed a new bilateral agreement to speed up the return of migrants who lack legal status in the UK. The deal, finalised during Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein’s UK visit, builds on earlier efforts to disrupt smuggling gangs and deter Channel crossings by small boats.
Migration Figures and Impact
So far this year, more than 27,000 people have attempted the perilous journey across the Channel, compared with around 18,000 during the same period last year. The number of Iraqi nationals making the crossing fell to 1,900 in the year to March 2025, down from 2,600 the previous year, according to Home Office data. About 26% of Iraqi arrivals were granted asylum at first decision.
Reactions and Criticism
Home Office minister Dan Jarvis described the agreement as a key step in strengthening ties on security, development and migration challenges. Conservatives dismissed the deal as “measly,” noting that fewer Iraqi nationals are attempting the crossing. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called it “a sham designed to look tough while crossings keep soaring.”
Broader Migration Strategy
This agreement follows similar pacts with Albania, Vietnam and, most recently, France, where returns of small boat arrivals are exchanged for the admission of a matching number of asylum seekers. Since the Labour government took office, more than 35,000 individuals without the right to remain have been returned—an increase of 14% over the previous year.
The pact reinforces UK-Iraq collaboration to quickly repatriate migrants without legal status, while targeting organised smuggling networks and deterring dangerous sea crossings.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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