Turkish, Egyptian and Kurdish migrants in UK could be deported to their home countries

Turkish, Egyptian and Kurdish migrants from Iraq who arrive in the UK illegally could be immediately deported to their home countries as the government considers expanding its list of “safe” countries, the Telegraph reported on Sunday.

These nationalities represent a significant portion of the nearly 4,000 migrant arrivals by the end of August. The government believes adding these countries to the existing safe list, which includes the EU, Switzerland and Albania, would streamline the process of denying asylum claims and expedite repatriation.

The decision comes ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling next week on the legality of the government’s Rwanda deportation scheme, which was delayed after being blocked by the European Court of Human Rights in 2022.

If deemed lawful, deportations to Rwanda might start in January, but if found illegal, there could be calls for the UK to leave the ECHR.

In the eight months to the end of August, Turkiye accounted for 2,121 Channel migrants, while Egypt accounted for 679, and Iraq accounted for 1,774. Turkiye and Egypt are reportedly being actively considered for inclusion on the safe list, the Telegraph reported.

However, the designation of Iraq as a safe country is complicated by continuing sectarian violence, particularly affecting the significant number of Kurdish Iraqi asylum seekers. Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick discussed the issue last week in a meeting with the foreign secretary of the Kurdish regional government, the Telegraph reported.

Expanding the safe list would facilitate deportations directly to migrants’ home countries, potentially reducing the need to relocate migrants to Rwanda. However, Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, told the Telegraph that the government “should be focusing on operating an orderly, humane and fair asylum system, treating people with humanity and dignity, as well as expanding safe routes to the UK.”