The British government is preparing to strike deals with Middle East and Asian countries to stop illegal immigrants setting off for the UK, it has been reported.

It is understood that the home office will pay millions to Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Turkey and Vietnam to stop people leaving for small boat crossings across the English Channel.

In a deal similar to one struck by Italy, the government will make a “co-operation and security” agreement in the coming weeks, The Sunday Times said.

The proposal is understood to have been inspired by Italy’s success in reducing migrant boat entries by 62 per cent in the last year after deals with Tunisia and Libya.

Large financial inducements have played a significant role in the reduction after Italy paid Tunisia €105 million ($110m) to bolster its border security. It gave also the country another €100 million to buy patrol ships and enhance its coastguard. In Libya, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni’s government boosted its coastguard and signed a major gas deal.

The dangerous English Channel crossings have become a continued political headache for Britain, with 32,900 people arriving in small boats so far this year compared to 29,437 in 2023. This is despite the previous Conservative government paying France £500 million ($631m) over three years to increase the security presence on its northern coast.

A key agreement that the UK home office wants to make is with the Kurdistan region of Iraq which is responsible for most of the smuggling gangs, including alleged trafficking boss Barzan Majeed, also known as “Scorpion”, who was arrested in May.