The United Kingdom has threatened to impose visa bans on citizens of three African countries unless they agree to take back irregular migrants, ahead of the government’s announcement of a sweeping overhaul of the asylum system.
In a statement released on Monday, the Home Office said Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo would no longer receive UK visas if they fail to cooperate in accepting the return of “their criminals and illegal immigrants.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to unveil what officials describe as the “most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times.”
The measures come as immigration continues to fuel political tension in the UK, boosting support for the hard-right Reform UK party.
The planned reforms, seen partly as an attempt to counter Reform’s rising popularity, focus on curbing the increasing number of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the English Channel from France.
Echoing former US President Donald Trump’s travel restrictions, the Home Office said the affected African countries were being penalised for “unacceptably low cooperation and obstructive returns processes.”
Home Office Minister Alex Norris told Sky News the countries have “one month to get this in order,” adding that similar sanctions could be extended to other nations.
The government is also considering an “emergency brake” on visas for nationals of countries whose citizens make high numbers of asylum claims despite entering the UK legally.
While asylum applications have risen, the number of initial approvals issued by UK authorities dropped between 2023 and 2024, according to recent government data.
The UK has, in recent years, issued thousands of visas under humanitarian programmes for Ukrainians, Afghans, and Hong Kong residents. However, Mahmood’s new proposals signal a stricter era for asylum seekers.
Modelled partly on Denmark’s tough asylum rules, the reforms include ending automatic benefits for asylum seekers and significantly weakening protections for refugees. One of the most controversial measures will reduce refugee status duration from five years to 30 months.
Under the proposal, refugee protections will be “regularly reviewed,” and individuals will be required to return to their home countries once those nations are considered safe. They will also have to wait 20 years—up from the current five—before becoming eligible for permanent residency.
Labour MP Tony Vaughan criticised the approach, telling the BBC’s Today programme, “We should be welcoming and integrating—not creating perpetual limbo and alienation. It doesn’t help refugees, and it doesn’t help society.”
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