Angola and Namibia have agreed to take again unlawful migrants and criminals after the house secretary threatened to impose visa bans on them in the event that they failed to take action.
In November, Shabana Mahmood additionally warned the federal government would impose visa sanctions on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) if it refused to co-operate.
Whereas Angola and Namibia “have met the gold customary by agreeing to enhance their processes, the DRC has failed to take action,” the Dwelling Workplace mentioned.
It mentioned because of this, VIPs and decision-makers within the African nation have now been stripped of preferential therapy and must apply for visas like everybody else, with fast-track visa processing providers revoked for all of the nation’s nationals.
The Dwelling Workplace mentioned there had been “some engagement” by the DRC however the dwelling secretary warned “additional measures” can be launched until co-operation improves, “up to an entire halt on visas”.
“We anticipate international locations to play by the foundations. If certainly one of their residents has no proper to be right here, they need to take them again,” Ms Mahmood 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 appropriate 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.”
Learn extra: Britain’s immigration system changes explained
The measures are a part of the federal government’s efforts to scale up the removing and deportation of unlawful migrants.
The Dwelling Workplace mentioned since July 2024, the federal government has deported almost 50,000 individuals with no proper to be within the UK, a 23% improve. Throughout the identical interval, over 7,000 overseas nationwide offenders have been returned from the UK.
