Angola and Namibia agree to take back illegal migrants after visa ban threat

Two African countries have agreed to step up efforts to take back their citizens deported from the UK after the Home Secretary threatened a visa ban.

Shabana Mahmood said last month she could stop issuing visas to foreign nationals from certain countries if those governments do not step up co-operation on the removal of illegal migrants from the UK.

Ms Mahmood identified Namibia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo as the first to face a possible ban, though the three countries account for a tiny number of visas issued.

The Home Office said those countries had frustrated efforts to remove thousands of illegal migrants and criminals.

It said they had “unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes” and accused the countries of refusing to process paperwork and requiring individuals to sign their own documents – effectively allowing them to block their own deportations.

Angola and Namibia have now agreed to new processes, under which the UK will be able to return illegal migrants and foreign national offenders in the coming months, the Home Office said.

The UK has revoked fast-track visa processing and halted preferential visa treatment for diplomats and VIPs from the DRC as a warning after it failed to make changes.

There has since been some engagement from the country but Ms Mahmood has again warned she is willing to take further action.

A Government source said the Home Secretary “won’t hesitate to go further and ban visas to other countries who refuse to take their citizens back”.

Ms Mahmood said: “We expect countries to play by the rules. If one of their citizens has no right to be here, they must take them back.

“I thank Angola and Namibia and welcome their co-operation. Now is the time for the Democratic Republic of Congo to do the right thing. Take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country.

“This is just the start of the measures I am taking to secure our border and ramp up the removal of those with no right to be here.”

Ms Mahmood unveiled sweeping reforms last month aimed at deterring migrants from seeking asylum in the UK and making it easier to remove people with no right to be in the country.

The three countries threatened with a visa ban are not among the most common nationalities of migrants to enter the UK legally or illegally.

They accounted for a tiny proportion of the more than 800,000 visas granted for employment, study, family or humanitarian reasons in the year to June – 299 to those from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 273 for nationals from Angola and 140 for those from Namibia.

And they made up only a handful of the illegal migrants recorded as having entered the UK through so-called “irregular” routes in that timeframe, with only 11 coming from the DRC, three from Angola and none from Namibia.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has told British diplomats to take a more transactional approach to illegal migration as part of efforts to speed up returns.

She said: “I have instructed our diplomatic network around the world to make returns a top priority, and today’s announcement shows that when countries work with us, we can achieve more rapid results.

“People who come to the UK illegally, overstay their visas, or commit crimes in our country should expect to be returned, and we will continue to demand the cooperation of their governments in that process.”

Since Labour entered government in July 2024, nearly 50,000 people have been deported from the UK and more than 7,000 foreign national offenders have been returned.