UK Threatens Visa Ban on Angola, Namibia, and DRC Over Migration Cooperation

UK Threatens Visa Ban on Angola, Namibia, and DRC Over Migration Cooperation

The United Kingdom has warned Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo that it will impose visa bans on their citizens unless they improve cooperation on accepting the return of irregular migrants. This move is part of the UK government’s plan to overhaul the asylum system and curb the increasing number of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the English Channel .

The UK Home Office has accused the three African countries of having “unacceptably low cooperation and obstructive returns processes”. Specifically, these countries have refused to readmit over 4,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals from the UK. The UK government sees this as a major obstacle to managing migration effectively .

If the countries fail to improve their cooperation, the UK will impose visa sanctions, including a potential full visa ban. This means that citizens of these countries may no longer be able to travel to the UK for tourism, business, or other purposes. The UK government has given the countries one month to get in order before the sanctions take effect .

The visa ban threat is part of a larger overhaul of the UK’s asylum system. The reforms aim to reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving in the UK and make it easier to deport those with no right to stay. Key measures include .
Reducing Refugee Protection: Refugee status will be limited to 30 months, and protection will be regularly reviewed.
Increasing Deportations: The UK government plans to dramatically increase deportations of those with no right to stay.
Limiting Appeals: The reforms will limit legal routes for migrants to appeal against their removal.
Changing Benefits: Automatic benefits for asylum seekers will be ended.

The visa ban threat has raised concerns about the potential impact on diplomatic relations between the UK and the affected countries. The UK government insists that the measures are necessary to control migration and ensure national security .