Angola Travellers Face No UK Visa Curbs as Threat Shifts to Eritrea

The United Kingdom has threatened to bar all Eritrean nationals from entering the country unless Eritrea agrees to take back more of its citizens who reach the UK by small boat or have been convicted of crimes. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the warning on Thursday, alongside immediate restrictions on Eritrean diplomats.

Key facts

• Announced: Thursday, by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
• Fast-track visas for senior Eritrean officials and other VIPs are suspended
• Eritrean diplomats may not travel more than 60 kilometres (37 miles) outside London without permission
• Eritreans were the largest nationality group among small-boat arrivals in the 12 months to June, at 18%
• A full visa ban on Eritrean nationals has been threatened but not imposed

What has changed for Eritrean diplomats?

From Thursday, Eritrean diplomats face restrictions on movement outside London and cannot travel more than 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the capital without permission. Fast-track visas for senior officials and other VIPs have also been suspended.

The Home Office said the limits mirror those already imposed on British officials in Asmara, Eritrea's capital.

Why is the UK taking this step?

Mahmood said Eritrea has repeatedly refused to cooperate on returning people who have committed crimes or have no legal right to remain in the UK. She said the country had "every chance to accept the return" of such individuals and had refused, unlike other countries, and that she would consider further measures against countries that do not cooperate.

The UK government accused Eritrean authorities of abruptly withdrawing cooperation earlier this year. House of Commons Library figures cited in the report put Eritreans at 18% of small-boat arrivals in the 12 months to June, the largest nationality group.

Has the UK used visa restrictions against other countries?

London has previously used the threat of visa restrictions to pressure countries into accepting the return of their nationals. Earlier this year the UK government threatened visa restrictions against Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Angola and Namibia agreed to changes before the threatened restrictions were introduced, while restrictions imposed on the Congo last year were lifted after cooperation on returns improved, according to the Home Office.

What this means for travellers

Eritrean diplomats now need permission to travel beyond 60 kilometres from London, and fast-track visas for senior Eritrean officials and VIPs are suspended. The threatened ban on all Eritrean nationals has not been imposed, and no start date for such a measure has been announced.

Mahmood said she would consider further measures against countries that refuse to cooperate on returns. No additional steps have been announced.