The British government plans to impose restrictive measures on countries that refuse to take back migrants who have arrived in the UK illegally. These steps will form part of a sweeping overhaul of the immigration system. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will announce major changes to asylum rules on Monday: refugee status will become temporary, and applications for permanent residency will be permitted only after 20 years.
She will also warn that citizens of Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could be barred from entering the UK if their governments do not begin cooperating more actively in the return of individuals deemed to have no right to remain. Collectively, these three states have refused to accept more than 4,000 undocumented migrants and foreign offenders. They will be given one month to change position, after which a phased sanctions regime will come into force.
Potential measures will range from suspending expedited visa services for diplomats and senior officials to imposing a full ban on issuing visas to citizens of the countries concerned. Mahmood stressed: “In Britain we follow the rules. When I said there would be consequences for states that fail to take back criminals and illegal migrants, I meant exactly that. My message to foreign governments is clear: take your citizens back or lose the right to enter our country.”
The proposed restrictions mirror the approach used by US President Donald Trump during his first term, when Washington imposed tough visa barriers on several African and Asian states. Border Security Minister Alex Norris on Monday declined to rule out applying similar measures to India, despite the free-trade agreement the two countries signed earlier this year. “We are reviewing all our arrangements with every state,” he told Times Radio. “If we see a lack of proper cooperation and necessary commitments, then of course we reserve the right to tighten measures.”