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The UK government issued a warning on Monday regarding visa restrictions for three African countries unless they agree to accept the return of irregular migrants, as the interior minister was poised to reveal major changes to the asylum system.
It announced it would cease issuing visas to citizens from Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo if those nations did not comply with the return of “their criminals and illegal immigrants,” according to a statement from the interior ministry.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was expected to unveil what has been described as the most extensive reforms to address illegal migration in modern times later on Monday.
In recent years, immigration has become a highly polarising topic in Britain, contributing to the rise in support for the far-right Reform UK party.
Mahmood’s tough stance and initiatives aim to reduce the number of asylum seekers making the journey across the Channel from France to Britain in small boats, but they are often perceived as efforts to regain public backing from Reform, which has surpassed the governing Labour Party in popularity polls.
Mirroring US President Donald Trump’s travel bans, the Home Office stated that the “three countries will face penalties due to their unacceptably low levels of cooperation and obstructive return processes.”
The government indicated it may also consider imposing similar restrictions on additional nations. These include an “emergency brake” on visas for individuals from countries with high asylum claim rates who enter the UK through legal channels.
Despite an uptick in asylum applications, government data shows a decline in initial positive decisions issued by UK authorities from 2023 to 2024.
In recent years, numerous visas have been issued under humanitarian programs for individuals from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.
Other proposed measures, inspired by Denmark’s strict asylum policies, include abolishing automatic benefits for asylum seekers and significantly diminishing protections for refugees.
One particularly controversial plan, which has drawn criticism from charities and Labour lawmakers alike, would shorten the duration of refugee status from five years to 30 months.
Refugees will have their protection status “regularly reviewed” and will be obliged to return to their home countries once those locations are considered safe. They will also need to wait two decades, rather than the current five years, before applying for permanent residency.
