UK reports drop in Iraqi small boat crossings as new deal signed

NEWSROOM — The United Kingdom has signed a new agreement with Iraq to strengthen cooperation on illegal migration and border security, as part of efforts to deter small boat crossings.

Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the Higher Returns Committee signed the deal during a visit to London, alongside UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis. The agreement will establish formal processes to return individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK.

“This visit reinforces the strength of the UK-Iraq partnership and demonstrates our government’s commitment to serious diplomacy that delivers real results,” 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.”

Last year, the UK pledged £800,000 for Iraqi border security projects, law enforcement training, and efforts to combat people smuggling and organized crime.

According to UK government figures, the number of Iraqi nationals arriving in the UK by small boat fell to 1,900 in the year ending March 2025, down from 2,600 the previous year. Officials said the decline demonstrates the effectiveness of “upstream cooperation” with partner countries.

Not all Iraqi nationals arriving in the UK by small boat are subject to return, if they demonstrate a risk of persecution in Iraq. In the year ending March 2025, approximately 26% of Iraqi applicants who crossed the border were granted asylum at the initial decision stage.

“I am determined to smash the business model used by people smugglers, and I’m taking joint action with our allies to make it happen,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in a post on X.

During his January visit to the UK, Iraq’s Prime Minister Al-Sudani met with top British officials. In his meeting with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in London, they discussed joint security efforts, collaboration in combating organized crime, sharing intelligence, and improving security force capabilities, according a statement from PM Al-Sudani’s media office.

The meeting built on agreements made during Cooper’s visit to Baghdad in 2024. Last November, Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari and his British counterpart Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, signed a security cooperation agreement to bolster joint efforts in combating drug trafficking and transnational crime.