Failed Iraqi asylum seekers in the UK are set to be sent back to their home country under a new migrants return deal.
In the latest bid to deter small boats crossing the Channel, the Government said it will agree a formal processes to fast-track the return of people from Iraq who have no legal right to be in Britain.
Previously attempts to deport Iraqis have been hampered by asylum seekers claiming to have lost their ID documents, which tribunal judges have accepted makes repatriation dangerous.
The new agreement, signed by Security Minister Dan Jarvis during a visit to the UK by Iraq’s deputy prime minister, will allow for the “swift” return of illegal migrants, the Home Office said.
It comes after an £800,000 deal with Baghdad to help the country crack down on people smuggling networks and organised crime was made in 2024.
Earlier this year Sir Keir Starmer and Iraq’s prime minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani made plans to strengthen co-operation on migration.
Since that agreement was signed, the number of Iraqis arriving in Britain by small boat has fallen to 1,900 in the year to March 2025, down from 2,600 in the previous year, Home Office data show.
Mr Jarvis said: “By working together on security, development and migration challenges, we are building stronger relationships that benefit both our countries whilst tackling shared challenges like organised crime and irregular migration.”
He added: “As someone who served in Iraq, I understand first-hand the importance of building enduring relationships in the region, and the new agreement we have signed is a testament to the trust and co-operation we’ve built with our Iraqi counterparts.”
The returns deal is the latest as part of the Home Office’s policies to stop small boats crossing the channel.
Similar agreements have already been made with Albania and Vietnam since Labour came into power.
Another “one in one out” accord with France recently came into force, where small boat migrants who have arrived over the English Channel from the can be returned to the country.
The small boats migrant will then be exchanged for a legitimate asylum seeker in France who can demonstrate a genuine family link to the UK.
The number has been capped, but it is hoped it will act as a deterrent to those crossing the Channel.
More than 50,000 people have made the dangerous journey across the water from France since Labour came to power.
In the last seven days alone, 968 migrants made the crossing, the latest figures from the Home Office show.
The new Iraqi returns announcement was criticised by Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp.
He said: “Over 50,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Channel in Labour’s short time in power, 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.
“Now they boast about a measly returns deal with Iraq, but barely any small boat arrivals are Iraqi, and most would qualify for asylum anyway. It’s a sham designed to look tough while crossings keep soaring.
“Labour has scrapped Conservative deterrents and created the conditions for chaos, leaving the British people to foot the bill. Only the Conservatives will stop the crossings and restore control of Britain’s borders.”
