The evil linchpins at the top of people-smuggling gangs who
consider themselves untouchable will be hunted down and brought
to justice thanks to nearly £1 million in UK government funding
to support Iraq to combat organised immigration crime.
The Home Secretary's groundbreaking partnership with Iraq is
making significant headway to tackle organised immigration crime
and fortify border security in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
(KRI). New funding, specialist technology and bolder
investigation processes have been pursued since the landmark
agreement was signed just four months ago.
The nearly £1 million in new UK government funding will support
the passing of new anti-smuggling legislation in the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq (KRI), which is a critical milestone in the
region's ability to prosecute Organised Crime Groups involved in
people smuggling. It will also be used to provide targeted
training, specialist technological support, and community
engagement to address key security challenges in the
region.
Successful implementation of the new law will also bolster wider
National Crime Agency (NCA) operations, supporting them to
disrupt high-profile criminal networks operating in the region.
The NCA already has more than 70 investigations into top tier
immigration crime networks, including those from or within the
KRI.
Earlier this year, the NCA worked with KRI law enforcement
partners on a joint operation for the first time ever, which
resulted in the arrest of three high-profile members of a people
smuggling network impacting the UK.
The UK-Iraq partnership has also led to a major crackdown on the
use of fraudulent documents by people-smuggling gangs to move
migrants through the Iraqi border. Over 100 Iraqi border and
airline officials are being trained to detect false papers, and
the UK has distributed specialist forgery detection devices
across forensic labs in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Dohuk.
The UK is a world-leader in false document detection and has
shared expertise, specialist equipment and intelligence with the
KRG to help them take down a key route used by people smugglers,
who are risking the lives of those they transport and
compromising border security.
Joint action between the Home Office, NCA and international
partners is also targeting the abhorrent business model of these
criminal networks, including their use of social media platforms,
financial flows, and maritime equipment such as boats and
engines. This multi-faceted approach is having a significant
impact, with over 8,000 social media accounts taken down in 2024,
and more than 600 boats and engines seized by European partners
working with the NCA, before they could be used in
life-threatening crossings.
The news comes ahead of the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister
hosting the first Organised Immigration Crime Summit on 31 March
and 1 April, where the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan
Regional Government will co-chair a collaborative session
tightening supply-chain controls.
Iraq is a key partner in tackling Organised Crime Groups, to
ensure the prosperity and security of UK and Iraq's citizens,
delivering on the government's Plan for Change.
The Home Office remains committed to supporting the Government of
Iraq and the KRG in tackling the root causes of organised crime,
strengthening the rule of law, and safeguarding vulnerable
individuals from the dangers posed by criminal networks.
Minister for Security, , said:
“The ‘Mr Bigs' of people-smuggling gangs are cowards who hide in
other countries and use their stooges to do their dirty work,
while they count the grubby, blood money they receive. They do
not care about the people they are endangering who are being
recklessly crammed into increasingly crowded, flimsy boats.
“We are using every power in our disposal to hunt them down,
bring them to justice and dismantle their evil people smuggling
networks. The UK's partnership with Iraq is a cornerstone in this
fight, with both of our countries making significant progress in
just a matter of months. Criminal “lords” in Iraq who had
previously thought themselves untouchable are now being sent a
clear message that their abhorrent business model will fail.”
