The UK has imposed visa restrictions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accusing its authorities of failing to cooperate with its new coverage on the return of undocumented migrants and people who commit felony offences.
The UK Residence Workplace introduced the measures in an announcement late on Saturday. It additionally mentioned that Angola and Namibia have agreed to step up efforts to take again their residents.
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The agreements mark the primary main change below sweeping reforms unveiled by Secretary of State for the Residence Division Shabana Mahmood final month to make refugee standing non permanent and pace up the deportation of those that arrive with out paperwork within the UK.
There was no instant remark from the DRC, Angola or Namibia.
The Residence Workplace mentioned the DRC failed to satisfy the UK’s necessities for cooperation and has now been stripped of fast-track visa companies and preferential remedy for VIPs and resolution makers.
Mahmood mentioned the UK might escalate measures to an entire halt of visas for the DRC except cooperation quickly improves.
“We anticipate nations to play by the foundations. If certainly one of their residents has no proper to be right here, they have to take them again,” she mentioned.
“I thank Angola and Namibia and welcome their co-operation. Now could be the time for the Democratic Republic of Congo to do the correct factor. Take your residents again or lose the privilege of coming into our nation.
“That is simply the beginning of the measures I’m taking to safe our border and ramp up the removing of these with no proper to be right here,” she added.
Prime Minister Keir Streamer’s centre-left authorities unveiled sweeping modifications to the UK’s asylum system final month, together with drastically reducing protections for refugees and their kids, as a part of a bid to stem the arrivals of irregular migrants which have fuelled rising anger on the far-right.
Greater than 39,000 people, many fleeing battle, have arrived within the UK on small boats this 12 months, greater than for the entire of 2024 however decrease than the document set in 2022, when the Conservatives have been in energy.
Mahmood informed lawmakers that the reforms, modelled on Denmark’s strict asylum system, would discourage refugees and asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel from France on small boats.
She described the present system as “uncontrolled and unfair”, including that it was an “uncomfortable fact” that the federal government should face.
Below the reforms, refugee standing will change into non permanent and shall be reviewed each 30 months. Refugees shall be pressured to return to their residence nations as soon as these are deemed secure.
They will even want to attend for 20 years, as a substitute of the present 5, earlier than they’ll apply for everlasting residency.
The federal government has additionally mentioned it’s going to legislate to make it more durable for irregular migrants and international criminals to make use of the European Conference on Human Rights (ECHR) to cease deportation.
Since July final 12 months, the UK has “eliminated greater than 50,000 individuals with no proper to stay”, a 23 % enhance on the earlier interval, and instructed diplomats to make returns a high precedence, Secretary of State for International and Commonwealth Affairs Yvette Cooper mentioned.
The coverage has been going through criticism, nonetheless, with Mark Davies, a former adviser to the International Workplace, calling it “shameful” and a departure from “Britain’s historic dedication to help refugees”.
Former Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn additionally described the coverage as “draconian”, including that it tries to “appease essentially the most ghastly, racist right-wing forces all throughout Europe”, whereas undermining the UN Conference on Human Rights.
Enver Solomon, chief govt of the Refugee Council, urged the federal government to rethink, warning the plans “won’t deter” crossings, and that refugees who work onerous ought to be capable to construct “safe, settled lives”.
Official figures cited by the AFP information company confirmed that asylum claims within the UK are at a document excessive, with about 111,000 functions made within the 12 months to June 2025.
However the variety of preliminary constructive choices the UK authorities granted fell from 2023 to 2024.
Most asylum seekers and refugees arrive within the UK legally. Web migration reached a document excessive of 906,000 within the 12 months to June 2023, earlier than it fell to 431,000 in 2024, partly reflecting the tighter guidelines.
