By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-10-15 01:01:01 | Updated at 2026-10-15 04:11:54
3 hours ago
Shabana Mahmood has threatened to block Eritrean visas in a row over the east African country's migrant return rate.
The Home Secretary has said she would bring in restrictions on Asmara unless it takes back its criminals and illegal migrants, most of whom arrive on small boats.
Eritrean VIPs and diplomats have already been stripped of their fast-track visa access to the UK after the Eritrean government reneged on an agreement to take back migrants refused asylum or convicted of crimes in the UK.
Now, Ms Mahmood has gone one step further, saying she would block visas for all Eritreans if the country refused to accept the return of its nationals with no right to be in the UK.
The Home Secretary told The Telegraph: "Eritrea has had every chance to accept the return of criminals and those with no right to be in the UK. Unlike other countries, it has refused.
"My message to the Eritrean government is simple: take back your nationals or face a complete ban on your citizens entering the UK.
"I will not hesitate to impose further measures on other countries refusing to cooperate."
Sources within the Home Office said diplomats from Asmara had refused to engage constructively with Whitehall in private talks about the returns agreement.
According to official figures, just 106 failed asylum seekers from Eritrea have been deported out of 2,626 whose claims were rejected in the past four years, equivalent to fewer than four per cent.
In the year ending June 2026, 6,952 Eritrean asylum seekers arrived in the UK, the second-highest number of any nationality.
This included 5,875 by small boats, the largest of any nationality grouping.
Eritreans have an asylum approval rate of just over 83 per cent.
Back in February, the DRC, Namibia, and Angola agreed to return their citizens after the Home Secretary threatened to ban visas for the countries’ ministers, diplomats, and tourists.
It meant up to 4,000 convicted criminals, including murderers, rapists and illegal migrants, from the three African countries could be deported to the states.
After the success of the sanction threats, Ms Mahmood warned other countries that they faced similar visa restrictions if they continued to refuse to take back their criminals, illegal migrants and rejected asylum seekers.
Other countries that have been highlighted as being resistant to taking back illegal migrants include India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia, Egypt and Gabon.
It follows Reform UK's earlier plans to impose “visa freezes” on those wanting to visit the UK legally from countries including Eritrea if they do not accept deportees.
These would halt any new visas for Eritrean nationals, as well as Sudan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia, which the party would target because they have issued significant numbers of visas to the UK.
For other countries that would not be greatly affected by such a measure but trade with the UK, the party is now saying it would go further with sanctions such as tariffs and airline bans to apply more pressure.
Labour called the plans "a clear sign of desperation and weakness", accusing the party of copying Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain.
Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said: "Nigel Farage is casting around for more and more extreme policies as he tries to deal with scandals, police investigations and a growing challenge from Restore, this is a carbon copy of their policy.
"Running away from basic decency by entirely abandoning those escaping war and persecution might look to Reform like a way of winning a bidding war with other parties on the right, but the vast majority of British people will reject it as an assault on our common values."
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the proposals “largely copy” the Conservatives.
He said: "Banning asylum claims by illegal immigrants, abolishing the immigration tribunal and ending Labour’s resettlement routes are all existing Conservative policy.
"Our detailed BORDERS plan also sees us coming out of the ECHR and ensures all illegal immigrants are removed within a week of arrival and closes the modern slavery claim and judicial review loopholes, both of which Reform seems to have missed."
