UK strengthens international diplomacy to tackle illegal migration

The UK is bolstering its border security and tackling illegal migration through international diplomacy, including returns, to deter small boat crossings and undermine organised criminal gangs.

The government has now further strengthened its vital strategic partnership with the Government of Iraq, including on repatriation and enhanced border security collaboration.

As part of a two-day visit to the UK, Iraqi's Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the Higher Returns Committee signed a new agreement with Security Minister Dan Jarvis which will establish formal processes to return those with no legal right to be in the UK swiftly.

This agreement aims to further deter small boat arrivals, while supporting the UK Government's wider commitment to restore order to the asylum system and recognising the Government of Iraq's significant work to provide reintegration support to those returned.

The bolstered cooperation builds on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani committing earlier this year to enhance migration cooperation between both countries, and the partnerships signed by the Home Secretary with Iraq last year on border security and serious organised crime. This committed £800,000 to law enforcement training, border security projects and capacity building to tackle people smuggling, organised immigration crime and drug flows.

In a demonstration that the UK-Iraq partnership has entered into a new era, discussions on the visit moved beyond security to include cooperation on regional security, Baghdad-Erbil relations, defence cooperation and a growing trade relationship. This reflects the government's ‘reset' approach to international partnerships, moving beyond transactional relationships to build deeper strategic cooperation.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said:

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

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 cooperation we've built with our Iraqi counterparts.

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.

The number of Iraqi nationals arriving by small boat in the UK has fallen substantially to 1,900 in the year ending March 2025, down from 2,600 in the previous year, demonstrating the effectiveness of upstream cooperation and the government's comprehensive approach to addressing illegal migration at source through diplomatic engagement.

The UK-Iraq visit also highlighted opportunities for expanded economic cooperation and the UK's continued support for Iraq's stability and development, reinforcing the UK's commitment to constructive engagement in the region.

The UK reiterated its support for infrastructure development projects in Iraq, building on a trade package worth up to £12.3 billion for UK business announced during Iraq Prime Minister Al-Sudani's visit to the UK in January.

In discussions on the situation in the Middle East, the UK and Iraq agreed on the need for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy to bolster regional security.

The UK-Iraq partnership builds on successful international cooperation, including the operationalised UK-France returns treaty under which people arriving by small boat can now be detained and returned.

Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, said:

The UK-Iraq relationship has entered a new era - going from strength to strength across a number of areas, including driving economic growth and ensuring regional stability.

We will continue to use innovative foreign policy approaches to secure Britain's borders and support development through partnerships.

In the UK government's first year over 35,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other immigration offenders with no right to be in the UK have been returned - a 14% increase compared to the same period 12 months ago - as part of restoring order to the asylum system.

On top of this, last week the new powers for immediate deportation of foreign national offenders from prison were introduced, building on recent legislation that already reduced the threshold for deportation from 50% to 30% of sentence served. This represents a significant escalation in deportation policy, with the new measures allowing immediate deportation once primary legislation is in force.

The UK government is also expanding its ‘Deport First, Appeal Later' scheme, nearly trebling from eight countries to 23, with foreign nationals now expected to be deported to their home countries before they can appeal against that decision, increasing the UK's ability to remove foreign criminals at the earliest opportunity, and easing pressure on the detention and prison estate.

This work is part of the government's ‘Plan for Change' approach to secure Britain's borders through serious international diplomacy, whilst maintaining the UK's proud tradition of providing sanctuary to those genuinely fleeing persecution through safe and legal routes.