ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Tuesday discussed mechanisms to address the issue of Iraqis residing in the UK illegally, as well as the danger of regional escalations in a phone call with his British counterpart David Lammy, according to a statement by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The two Ministers discussed several issues, including economic aspects and the draft agreement of partnership between the two countries, in addition to addressing the issue of several Iraqis residing in Britain illegally,” read the statement.

The United Kingdom is a key destination for the bulk of Iraqi nationals who migrate to the west on perilous journeys in search of a better and more prosperous life.

Around 60,000 Iraqis have applied for asylum in the UK over the past two decades wih the vast majority reaching the country through the English channel on small boats, according to the Iraqi Welfare Association, a charity  organization established in 1991 to support Iraqis in the country.

The majority of the Iraqis who sught asylum in the UK have had their causes rejected by the British Home Office, according to the association.

According to data from Lutka or the Summit Foundation for Refugees and the Dispalced Affairs, around 750,000 Iraqis have migrated out of the country since 2015, a year after ISIS swepts across large parts of the country.

Iraq and the United Kingdom maintain strong relations in many sectors, including economy, military and security. 

The two countries signed a Strategic Partnership in 2021 in a bid to boost coordination in the sectors of education, culture and economy. 

During the phone call, according to the Iraqi foreign ministry statement, "the British Foreign Secretary affirmed the depth and strength of relations between Britain and Iraq, expressing his confidence that these relations will continue to develop and expand.”

The two foreign ministers also discussed dangers that recent highteneing esclations may pose on international security.

“Minister Fuad Hussein underlined the importance of preventing the expansion of war in the region, noting that the continued escalation of war could lead to a social, economic and security catastrophe, which requires all influential countries to act to stop the conflict in Lebanon and Gaza,” the statement detailed. 

Lammy affirmed that London was "striving to avoid the expansion of the scope of war, and protect Iraq from its repercussions.”

The Middle East is on the brink of an all-out war in the wake of hightened escalations between Israel and its arch-foe regional forces including Iran and smaller armed groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Huthis in Yemen, Hamas in Palestine and Iran-backed Shiite militia groups in Iraq and Syria. 

The internatioanl community including France and the US, and regional countries including Iraq and Lebanon have been calling for a ceasfire, a request Israel has categorically rejected. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his latest remarks reiterated that they would continue to fight what they called “a sacred war.”