The UK government has signed a new agreement with Iraq to accelerate the return of migrants who have no legal right to remain in Britain. The deal, announced during a visit by Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, was signed by Home Office minister Dan Jarvis and builds on previous cooperation to disrupt people-smuggling networks and deter Channel crossings.
So far this year, more than 27,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats, compared to around 18,000 in the same period last year. The number of Iraqis making the journey has fallen, with 1,900 recorded in the year to March 2025, down from 2,600 the year before. The government says this decline reflects the impact of joint work with Iraq.
The agreement will create formal processes to swiftly return Iraqis with no legal right to remain in the UK. However, not all arrivals will be removed, as some may successfully claim asylum. According to the Home Office, 26% of Iraqis who crossed in the past year were granted asylum at the initial decision.
The Conservatives dismissed the agreement as “measly,” arguing that few small boat arrivals are now Iraqi. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called it “a sham designed to look tough while crossings keep soaring.”
The Labour government has pursued similar agreements with Albania and Vietnam, as well as a recent deal with France to return some migrants in exchange for the UK accepting asylum seekers from French territory. Officials say more than 35,000 people with no right to remain have been removed in Labour’s first year, a 14% rise compared to the previous year.
Many smuggling networks across Europe are run by Iraqi Kurds, and last year the UK committed £800,000 to strengthening Iraqi law enforcement and border security. Jarvis said the latest deal shows the UK is “building stronger relationships that benefit both our countries whilst tackling shared challenges like organised crime and irregular migration.”