UK targets increased migrant returns, including Iraq, with new reintegration deals

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United Kingdom is stepping up its efforts to return migrants to their home countries, including Iraq, as part of a broader strategy to reduce the backlog of asylum cases.

This initiative, highlighted in a recent report by Anna Gross in the Financial Times, is part of a new plan by the UK Labour government to support the reintegration of returnees in 11 countries.

The UK government has posted a contract worth £15 million over three years, seeking a commercial partner to assist in the reintegration of migrants returning from Britain.

The targeted countries include Iraq, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Albania, Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, according to official documents.

The move is part of UK’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to tackle the growing issue of illegal migration, particularly those arriving via dangerous routes, such as small boats across the English Channel.

Starmer has vowed to dismantle the criminal networks that facilitate human trafficking and has committed to significantly accelerating the return of irregular migrants to their home countries.

The plan has sparked concerns among human rights activists, particularly regarding Iraq, where the UK government itself acknowledges the risks faced by returnees, especially those lacking proper documentation.

Such individuals are at a heightened risk of serious harm when navigating security checkpoints within Iraq.

The UK’s Home Office has also been under pressure to address a £6.4 billion overspend in the asylum budget for the current year. This financial strain has been attributed to decisions made in the autumn budget, including public spending cuts and tax increases.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the previous Conservative government consistently overspent on the asylum system between 2021 and 2023.

To tackle these issues, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a target to return 14,500 migrants within the next six months. This figure includes asylum seekers, foreign national offenders, and individuals living and working illegally in the UK.

A new “returns unit” has been established within the Home Office, staffed by approximately 300 of the planned 1,000 employees, to expedite the processing of cases from priority countries.

However, the government faces challenges in implementing this plan. Many asylum seekers arriving in the UK are not from the list of “safe states” and therefore cannot be returned under international law if their safety would be jeopardized.

Such cases require careful, individual consideration, complicating the government’s efforts to increase returns.

The Home Office has emphasized the importance of international cooperation in this endeavour, stating that global partnerships will be critical in ensuring the success of the UK’s immigration enforcement and returns activities.

The government is committed to working closely with countries around the world to ensure that immigration rules are respected and enforced.