An Iraq-UK pact to deport illegal migrants from the UK to their homeland will be on the table when Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani visits Britain on Tuesday.
Mr Al Sudani visits Downing Street at the start of a three-day trip for talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pledged to “smash the gangs” of people smugglers bringing migrants across the English Channel in small boats. Iraqi Kurds have made up a substantial part of the people smuggling business in recent years and now make up most of the criminal gangs who operate in northern France. The UK has already signed the first agreement for its law enforcement officers to work in the region.
But Iraqis also make up a substantial proportion of those who cross in small boats, with the latest figures showing about 2,500 made the journey in 2023 and 958 in the first half of 2024. The UK has agreements with several countries, which allow for the speedier return of migrants whose asylum claims have failed or have no right to stay in the UK, and wants to add Iraq to that list.
Mr Starmer said “secure borders are a vital foundation” of his Labour government’s plans, “so I am also very pleased get started on talks for a bespoke returns agreement between our countries”.
“The deal will help dismantle the people smugglers’ business model by sending the clear message that if you come here illegally, you cannot expect to stay,” he said. Detection equipment worth £66.5 million ($81.2 million) is to be sent to Iraq to assist in the fight against smuggling gangs.
The government has said it has already deported 16,400 people with no right to be in the UK, the highest rate of worldwide removals since 2018. People smugglers and companies who supply them with boats to take migrants across the English Channel will be hit with the “full arsenal” of sanctions, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced recently. Mr Al Sudani’s visit includes discussions about implementing what Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has described as “our world-first security agreement with Iraq”.
"When I signed the landmark deal with Iraq in November, it was a clear signal of our commitment to dismantle the criminal smuggling gangs together,” she said. The Home Secretary added that the visit of Mr Al Sudani was “the next step in ensuring this important partnership with Iraq goes from strength to strength”.
Tony Smith, former head of the UK’s Border Force and now a border security consultant, told The National that the funding promised for working with Iraq "is pretty light and there’s nothing concrete here about a returns agreement – other than that work will continue on it".
"We get a lot of asylum applications from Iraqi Kurds who claim to be persecuted there," said Mr Smith, managing director of Fortinus Global. "Something from the Iraqi government which gives assurances that they will be protected would be helpful. Plus an agreement to accept returns without passports would also be helpful."
The two leaders are also set to announce a £12.3 billion export package, worth about 10 times last year’s trade between the UK and Iraq. The visit was initially scheduled for last year, but was delayed because of developments in the region, particularly the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
The 'Jungle' migrant camp in Calais - in pictures
It comes just days after Mr Al Sudani’s one-day visit to Iran, where he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There, Mr Al Sudani discussed the developments in Syria where rebels led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham toppled former president Bashar Al Assad's regime, as well as bilateral ties.
Mr Al Sudani will hold a series of meetings with UK figures including King Charles III and Mr Starmer, as well as other senior British government officials. Talks are also scheduled with representatives of companies and business sectors, alongside seminars and dialogues with specialised research centres.
The Iraqi Prime Minister will lead a high-level delegation, comprising ministers, MPs, the Governor of Basra, advisers, representatives from the private sector and business leaders and industrialists from various economic sectors, his office said.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Background: Chemical Weapons
Mobile phone packages comparison
SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
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The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
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