The UK government has successfully pressured two African nations into accepting the return of their citizens who have been deported from Britain, following a direct threat to suspend visa services.
Visa Ban Ultimatum Yields Results
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood issued a stark warning last month, stating she was prepared to stop issuing visas to foreign nationals from specific countries if their governments refused to cooperate on returns agreements. She explicitly named Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as nations with "unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes."
The Home Office confirmed that these three countries faced penalties for their failure to facilitate the repatriation of individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK. On Saturday night, the department announced a breakthrough, confirming that Angola and Namibia have now agreed to step up efforts and accept the return of their citizens.
DRC Faces Immediate Sanctions
While Angola and Namibia have complied with the UK's demands, the Democratic Republic of Congo has not made the required changes. As a direct consequence, the UK has enacted immediate punitive measures against the DRC.
The UK has revoked fast-track visa processing and halted preferential visa treatment for diplomats and VIPs from the DRC, serving as a clear warning that further restrictions could follow.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated: “We expect countries to play by the rules. If one of their citizens has no right to be here, they must take them back. I thank Angola and Namibia and welcome their co-operation. Now is the time for the Democratic Republic of Congo to do the right thing. Take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country.”
She emphasised that this action marked "just the start" of her measures to secure UK borders and increase the removal of individuals without the right to remain.
Scale of the Issue and Government Stance
Official figures reveal that the three targeted nations accounted for a very small proportion of both legal visas and irregular migration. In the year to June, the UK granted:
- 299 visas to citizens from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- 273 visas to nationals from Angola.
- 140 visas to those from Namibia.
This is out of a total of more than 800,000 visas issued for employment, study, family, or humanitarian reasons.
Similarly, only a handful of illegal migrants recorded as entering via "irregular" routes came from these countries: 11 from the DRC, three from Angola, and none from Namibia.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reinforced the government's position, highlighting that since the election, the government has removed more than 50,000 people with no right to be in the UK—an increase of almost a quarter on the same period before the election.
“I have instructed our diplomatic network around the world to make returns a top priority, and today’s announcement shows that when countries work with us, we can achieve more rapid results,” Cooper said. “People who come to the UK illegally, overstay their visas, or commit crimes in our country should expect to be returned.”
