The British government has signed a new agreement with Iraq to facilitate the return of irregular Iraqi migrants. It was signed by UK Home Secretary Dan Jarvis and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein.
Under the agreement, a formal legal mechanism will be established to return Iraqi Arab and Kurdish migrants who are not granted residence in the UK back to Iraq. It comes as part of the British government’s broader efforts to curb immigration. London considers Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to be safe and therefore views it as a viable destination for returning Iraqi migrants.
British Home Secretary Dan Jarvis stated that the agreement will enhance joint efforts between the two countries to address security challenges. He emphasized, “Our new immigration agreement strengthens the partnership between the UK and Iraq. By working together on security and migration issues, we are deepening our ties and tackling shared challenges, including serious organized crime and irregular migration.”
Last year, the British government allocated £800,000 to the Iraqi government to support efforts against smuggling networks and organized crime. This year, the British and Iraqi prime ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating irregular migration.
According to the British Home Office, the agreements with Iraq have led to a reduction in the number of Iraqis arriving in the UK by small boat. This year, 108,138 asylum applications have been registered, and Iraqi nationality did not appear on the initial list of asylum seekers this year. Some believe that this is because Iraqis are registering as other nationalities.
Since taking office, the Labor government has pursued a series of agreements aimed at curbing immigration. It has already signed migration agreements with Albania and Vietnam and more recently concluded a deal with France to exchange migrants on a one-for-one basis, under which France will accept irregular migrants from Britain in return for the same number of migrants entitled to reside in the UK.
The United Kingdom is currently experiencing a sharp rise in anti-immigration protests, with far-right groups staging demonstrations outside hotels housing immigrants and asylum seekers. In response, counter-protests denouncing racism and expressing solidarity with immigrants have also been organized.
Many parts of the UK have witnessed violence between protesters and police forces, with far-right protesters attacking hotels housing immigrants and setting fire to rubbish bins, leading to the arrest of many participants in the protests.
