London, UK (Agencies): The UK and Iraq have agreed on a “world-first” deal to tackle gangs based in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region that run people-smuggling operations across Europe. This agreement is part of the UK Labour government’s pledge to “smash the gangs” and address the politically charged issue of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Iraqi-Kurds have dominated people trafficking in recent years. This month, members of a smuggling gang received prison terms in France, and another key player was detained in Iraq after being sentenced in Belgium.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper visited Iraq and its Kurdish region to finalize the agreement, which includes regular cooperation between UK law enforcement and their Iraqi counterparts. Measures include social media campaigns in Kurdistan to counter gang misinformation and a pledge to hasten deportations of people with no legal right to be in the UK.
“These landmark commitments send a clear signal to criminal smuggling gangs that we are determined to work globally to go after them,” said Ms. Cooper. “Organised criminals operate across borders, so law enforcement needs to operate across borders too.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced additional funding for Iraqi law enforcement to tackle the problem upstream. The UK will provide £300,000 ($380,000) to Iraq for border security training and to help build capacity to tackle organised crime.
During her visit, Ms. Cooper met with key Iraqi and Kurdish officials. The new Border Security Command (BSC) to tackle small boat crossings will receive an additional £75 million ($97.4 million) in funding.