The United Kingdom and Iraq have signed a security pact aimed at targeting people-smuggling gangs and enhancing border security cooperation. British Interior Minister Yvette Cooper announced the agreement on Thursday, emphasizing the need for global collaboration to combat the growing issue of illegal migration.

Cooper explained that smuggling gangs, which profit from dangerous small boat crossings, operate across borders, stretching from northern France to Germany and reaching the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The pact reflects the increasingly international nature of organized immigration crime, requiring countries to work together more closely.

As part of the agreement, the UK will provide up to £300,000 ($380,000) to train Iraqi law enforcement in border security. This funding will help enhance Iraq’s capabilities in combating organized immigration crime and drug trafficking. Additionally, the UK pledged £200,000 ($254,000) to support migration control projects in the Kurdistan region, including the creation of a new task force.

The pact also includes a communications campaign to combat misinformation spread by people-smugglers online. The UK government described the deal as the largest operational package ever aimed at tackling organized crime and people smuggling between the two nations.