UK Nears Migrant Returns Deal with Iraq to Curb Small Boat Crossings

The UK government, led by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, is in the final stages of negotiating a migrant returns deal with Iraq to address the record levels of small-boat crossings in 2025. The agreement aims to expedite the detention and deportation of failed asylum seekers, particularly targeting Iraqi Kurds who dominate smuggling networks responsible for over 21,000 Channel crossings this year. This deal follows a recent “one in, one out” arrangement with France, allowing the UK to return migrants to France and receive asylum seekers with British links, with both deals intended to disrupt criminal smuggling operations. The National Crime Agency has intensified efforts alongside Kurdish authorities, using intelligence sharing and law enforcement to dismantle smuggling networks and surveil routes, including deploying sniffer dogs between Turkey and Bulgaria. Despite these measures, critics like Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp have expressed skepticism about their effectiveness, highlighting that only a small fraction of migrants may be returned under the current agreements. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is also engaging with European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, to explore further cooperation against people smuggling.