Government strikes returns deal with Iraq in latest bid to deter small boats
It comes after an £800,000 deal last year with Baghdad to help the country crack down on smuggling networks and organised crime.
Earlier this year Sir Keir Starmer and Iraq's prime minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani agreed to strengthen co-operation on migration.
Mr Jarvis signed the agreement during a visit to the UK by Iraq's deputy foreign minister Faud Hussein. The Home Office said the accord would allow the 'swift' return of illegal migrants.
Home Office statistics said since previous deals, the number of Iraqis arriving in the UK by small boat has fallen to 1,900 in the year to March 2025, down from 2,600 in the previous year.
Mr 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.'
The returns deal is the latest as part of the Home Office's policies to stop small boats crossing the channel.
Similar agreements have already been made with Albania and Vietnam since Labour came into power.
Another deal with France recently came into force, where small boat migrants who have arrived over the English Channel from the French coast can be returned to the country.
The small boats migrant will then be exchanged for a legitimate asylum seeker in France who can demonstrate a genuine family link to the UK. The number has been capped, but it is hoped it will act as a deterrent to those crossing the Channel.
The latest figures from the Home Office showed 116 migrants arrived aboard two small boats on August 15.
Mr 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 co-operation we've built with our Iraqi counterparts.'
However, the announcement was criticised by Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp.
He said: 'Over 50,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Channel in Labour's short time in power, the worst illegal immigration crisis in our history.
'Labour has surrendered our borders, and the consequences are being felt in our communities, from rising crime to shocking cases of rape and sexual assault by recent arrivals.
'Now they boast about a measly returns deal with Iraq, but barely any small boat arrivals are Iraqi, and most would qualify for asylum anyway. It's a sham designed to look tough while crossings keep soaring.
'Labour has scrapped Conservative deterrents and created the conditions for chaos, leaving the British people to foot the bill. Only the Conservatives will stop the crossings and restore control of Britain's borders.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Kneecap rapper faces month-long wait over whether terror charge is thrown out
A member of rap trio Kneecap faces a month-long wait to find out whether his terrorism charge will be thrown out. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was once again greeted by hundreds of fans as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday for a three-hour hearing. Prosecutors allege the 27-year-old displayed a flag in support of proscribed terror organisation Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year. During Wednesday's hearing, his defence team argued the case should be thrown out, citing a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought. Brenda Campbell KC told the court the Attorney General had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on May 21. She said consent was given the following day, but that meant the charge falls outside of the six-month time frame in which criminal charges against a defendant can be brought. Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said permission was not required until the defendant's first court appearance and that permission did not need to be sought in order to bring a criminal charge. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring adjourned the case until September 26, when he will rule on whether he has the jurisdiction to try the case. Hundreds of Kneecap supporters waving flags and holding banners greeted O hAnnaidh as he arrived at court alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh. Demonstrations in support of the rapper were organised outside the court building in London, as well as in Dublin. The Metropolitan Police imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court could take place, saying they were needed to 'prevent serious disruption'. A man was detained by police outside the court building because of a placard he was holding following the hearing. Surrounded by officers, he told reporters his hand-made sign made no reference to any proscribed organisations. O hAnnaidh was swamped by photographers as he arrived, with security officers taking more than a minute to usher him into the court building. Supporters greeted the Kneecap rapper with cheers as he made his way from a silver people carrier to the building. Fans held signs which read 'Free Mo Chara' while others waved Palestine and Irish flags before the rapper's arrival at court. Chants of 'Free, free, Mo Chara' could also be heard over a megaphone, which was repeated by the crowd. Mr O Caireallain and Mr O Dochartaigh sat at the back of the courtroom with three others as O hAnnaidh confirmed his name, date of birth and address to the court at the start of the hearing. In response to the Met imposing conditions on the protest, Kneecap described the move as a 'calculated political decision' that was 'designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome'. The court previously heard the 27-year-old defendant is 'well within his rights' to voice his opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum was a 'wholly different thing'. O hAnnaidh, of Belfast, is yet to enter a plea to the charge and is on unconditional bail.
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Reeves' ‘mansion tax' would stall home sales and fuel exodus of super-rich, experts warn
Property experts have warned that Rachel Reeves ' plans to levy a so-called 'mansion tax' on high-value properties would stall housing sales and add to the exodus of the super-rich from the UK. Mortgage brokers and financial planners have rounded on the chancellor after reports she is considering hitting the owners of expensive properties when they sell to plug a £40bn hole in the public purse. The mooted plans would see higher-rate taxpayers pay 24 per cent of any gain in the value of their home, while basic rate taxpayers would be hit with an 18 per cent levy. Currently, capital gains tax is not paid on the sale of primary residences. Proposals being considered for the autumn budget, the private residence relief would end for properties above a certain threshold, sources told The Times. The threshold is said to still be under consideration, but a £1.5 million starting point would hit around 120,000 homeowners who are higher-rate taxpayers with capital gains tax bills of £199,973. Financial adviser Scott Gallacher, director at Rowley Turton, said a level of £1.5m would prevent most older homeowners, particularly those who bought properties in the 80s and 90s, from selling houses. He added that the plans would 'kill off the upper end of the property market' and be difficult to implement. Mr Gallacher said: 'It would be insane if it creates a cliff edge in that properties over £1.5m are subject to Capital Gains Tax on the entire gain, as properties sold at £1.49m would incur no CGT whereas £1.5m might be a six-figure bill. If it's only on gains above £1.5m, then the CGT raised would be minimal, as potentially you'd be exempting six or even seven-figure gains.' He added: 'Homeowners, especially older ones, who perhaps bought their houses in the 1970s or 1980s, would be daft to sell and incur a huge CGT liability. Instead they would be incentivised to hold on to the home until they die and pay no CGT.' Meanwhile Simon Gerrard, chairman of Martyn Gerrard Estate Agents, warned the plans would leave families who bought homes in London more than a decade ago facing 'eye-watering' tax bills. 'Meanwhile, those who are actually wealthy know how to bypass these moves and won't pay it,' he said. He told The Independent: 'After the deadline passes people will simply not sell their homes. The property market above the threshold will die until Labour are voted out and the policy is repealed under a more sensible government.' Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell, said the tax-free nature of primary residences is 'deeply embedded in the psyche of homeowners'. He warned: 'A mansion tax set at high level would naturally cause people to worry it was just the thin end of the wedge, and the next time the government needs a bit of money they could just lower the threshold. 'It would also be an impediment to mobility in the housing market, as those with properties which might fall foul of the tax would be inclined to sit on them for longer, leaving a log jam in the housing ladder below them.' And critics warned the tax change would add to the reported exodus of super-rich individuals fleeing Britain. 'I can see a lot of families in London being caught with this higher tax bill, and it may push more wealthy tax contributors to exodus the UK, which is already a problem following the Chancellor 's last budget,' said Stephen Perkins, managing director of Yellow Brick Mortgages. The Treasury was asked to comment.
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
Isle of Wight Reform UK councillor resigns after four months
A newly elected Reform UK councillor has resigned his seat after coming under pressure over Thursday, Conservative councillor Paul Brading said David Maclean should "consider his position" after failing to attend three meetings of the island children's services said Mr Maclean had stepped down from the authority for "personal reasons".Previously, the party said he had been dealing with a serious illness in the family. Mr Maclean was not present at the 2 May by-election count where he won his Lake North seat or his initiation ceremony at County Hall. At the time, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told by Reform's press office his absences were due to a family Thursday, the island's other Reform councillor, Caroline Gladwin, told the children's services meeting she would probably be taking over from him on the seized control of nine English authorities in May's local elections, winning 677 of around 1,600 seats then, newly elected Reform councillors have stepped down in other councils including Doncaster, Durham, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
