Iraqi Kurdistan, UK launch anti-smuggling project
Shafaq News- Erbil/ London
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and British Consulate General on Monday launched a joint project to curb irregular migration to Europe and pursue human-smuggling networks.
The initiative combines public awareness, employment, and youth support with stricter action against traffickers, Department of Foreign Relations head Safeen Dizayee announced at the “Community Participation to Reduce Irregular Migration” conference in Erbil.
According to Dizayee, people using irregular routes to Europe, Canada, and the US often fall prey to smugglers and face severe risks, though the KRG repatriated more than 5,000 Kurdish citizens stranded on the Belarus border in 2022 and 2023 through coordination with Iraq’s embassy in Moscow, without recording any deaths.
On July 10, Deputy Migration Minister Kareem Al-Nouri reported that irregular migration through Belarus, Turkiye, and Libya had fallen by more than half, citing stronger regional cooperation and disrupted smuggling networks.
More than 148,000 people left Iraqi Kurdistan for Europe between 2014 and 2025, according to the Association of Returnee Refugees. At least 414 died, while others remain missing.
Read more: Iraq’s Displacement: From war-driven migration to climate-induced mobility pressures
