The United Kingdom has warned that it may impose visa bans on citizens of Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo unless the three countries agree to take back irregular migrants — a move coming ahead of what officials describe as the most far-reaching overhaul of the UK’s asylum system in decades.
In a statement on Monday, the Home Office said the affected nations could lose access to UK visas if they continue to resist taking back their “criminals and illegal immigrants.” The ultimatum comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood prepares to roll out sweeping reforms aimed at curbing illegal migration, especially the rising number of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the English Channel.
Officials say the measures are, in part, designed to counter the growing political pressure posed by the hard-right Reform UK party, which has used immigration as a rallying point.
Home Office Minister Alex Norris told Sky News that the three African countries have “one month to get this in order,” adding that the visa sanctions could be expanded to other nations with low cooperation on migrant returns. The Home Office compared the move to travel restrictions previously championed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The government is also weighing an “emergency brake” on visas for countries whose nationals legally enter the UK but later file high numbers of asylum claims.
Recent data shows that while asylum claims have risen, the number of initial approvals granted by UK authorities fell between 2023 and 2024.
Mahmood’s reform package marks a major tightening of the UK’s asylum system. Key proposals include ending automatic benefits for asylum seekers, reducing refugee status from five years to just 30 months, and requiring refugees to return home once their countries are deemed safe. The period before becoming eligible for permanent residency would also increase sharply—from five years to 20.
The reforms draw inspiration from Denmark’s stringent asylum model, signalling what many observers say will be a far tougher era for refugee protection in Britain.
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.”
The UK has issued thousands of visas in recent years for Ukrainians, Afghans, and Hong Kong residents under humanitarian schemes, but Mahmood’s proposals point to a dramatic shift toward stricter controls across the board.
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