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The Democratic Republic of Congo has agreed to accept the return of irregular migrants from the United Kingdom following London’s recent visa restrictions, the UK Home Office said on Friday.
In December, the UK suspended fast-track visa processing for Congolese nationals and ended preferential treatment for government officials and VIPs, warning that all visas could be halted if Kinshasa did not cooperate on deportations.
The restrictions were imposed after the British government cited Kinshasa’s poor cooperation in repatriating irregular migrants and nationals convicted in UK courts.
The Home Office said the DRC’s decision demonstrated the effectiveness of visa penalties as a tool to secure cooperation.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that the message was clear, as countries that refuse to accept the return of their citizens would face consequences.
The UK previously used similar measures against Namibia and Angola, prompting both countries to agree in December to take back deportees.
According to the Home Office, over 3,000 irregular migrants from Namibia, the DRC, and Angola could now be removed from the UK.
The department emphasised that countries unwilling to cooperate cannot expect normal visa relations, and further restrictions may follow if compliance is not forthcoming.
The move forms part of a wider package of reforms announced by Mahmood in November, aimed at tightening Britain’s asylum and immigration system.
Recent UK statistics show that the vast majority of the 135.9 million people migrating to the UK in the year to September 2025 held official study or work visas, while only around 50,000 were undocumented arrivals.
Immigration policy remains a politically sensitive issue in the UK, with the hard-right, anti-immigrant Reform UK party gaining ground ahead of May’s local elections.
