A former UK Foreign Office official has said that Iraqi-Kurdish officials should be sanctioned by the British government over a suggested link between the region and small boat crossings of the English Channel.
"The government should use sanctions ... to show we are serious," said Ben Judah, a former adviser to the Foreign Secretary.
He said the UK needed to “ramp up the pressure" because, he claimed, small-boat operations were “almost entirely controlled" by gangs from that region.
The number of migrants illegally crossing the English Channel hit its highest single-day level for 2026 last week.
Mr Judah told the BBC that despite a campaign by Labour ministers soon after coming to power in 2024, the pressure for action against smugglers has had little success.
A representative for the Kurdistan Regional Government said in response it had "consistently co-operated with the British government and European partners."
The KRG "has provided assistance in efforts to combat illegal migration, human trafficking and organised smuggling networks," a representative said in a statement sent to The National.
"The Kurdistan Region has no interest whatsoever in facilitating illegal migration and it has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to cooperate with international partners in addressing these challenges."
Calling for sanctions against senior KRG officials on the basis of allegations that are neither substantiated nor fairly presented does not provide nor a credible basis for public policy, the spokesperson said,
The recent spike in small boat arrivals – while far below the record of 42,000 in 2022 – has been seized on by far-right activists in the UK to push forward their anti-migrant agenda.
Editor's note: This story was updated on Monday, September 28, following its publication on September 25. The story's headline and subheading were changed, edits were made throughout the text and elements of a written statement provided by a KRG spokesperson to The National were included in the republished version.
