The United Kingdom has threatened to impose visa bans on citizens of Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo if the three African countries fail to accept the return of irregular migrants currently in the UK.
In a statement released on Monday, the UK Home Office said the affected nations could be cut off from receiving visas unless they cooperate in taking back “their criminals and illegal immigrants.” The warning comes ahead of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s expected announcement of what officials describe as the most far-reaching overhaul of the country’s asylum system in modern times.
The proposed reforms come at a politically sensitive moment, with immigration continuing to shape public debate and fuel support for the hard-right Reform UK party. Part of the government’s new approach is aimed at reducing the number of asylum seekers who arrive in small boats across the English Channel from France.
Drawing comparisons with former US President Donald Trump’s travel restrictions, the Home Office said the three African countries were being penalised for “unacceptably low cooperation and obstructive returns processes.” Home Office Minister Alex Norris told Sky News that Angola, Namibia and the DRC have “one month to get this in order,” warning that the same measures could be extended to other countries.
The government is also weighing the introduction of an “emergency brake” that would suspend visas for nationals of countries whose citizens make high numbers of asylum claims despite entering the UK legally.
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Although asylum applications have risen in recent years, the number of initial approvals issued between 2023 and 2024 has declined, according to official data. During the same period, the UK issued thousands of visas under humanitarian schemes for Ukrainians, Afghans and Hong Kong residents, but the new policy direction signals a tougher stance on migration.
The reforms, partly modelled on Denmark’s strict asylum system, propose sweeping changes including ending automatic benefits for asylum seekers and reducing refugee status duration from five years to 30 months. Refugee protections would be subject to regular review, and individuals would be required to return to their home countries once those nations are deemed safe. The waiting period for permanent residency would also jump from five years to 20.
Labour MP Tony Vaughan criticised the planned measures, telling BBC’s Today programme that the UK should prioritise integration rather than restrictions. “We should be welcoming and integrating, not creating perpetual limbo and alienation. It doesn’t help refugees, and it doesn’t help society,” he said.