UK threatens to ban Eritreans over returns policy
Summary
The UK government has warned Eritrea that it may ban Eritrean citizens from entering the UK unless Eritrea agrees to accept more people who have been refused asylum or have committed crimes in the UK. Eritrea stopped cooperating with the UK on returning these individuals earlier this year, leading to visa restrictions on some Eritrean officials.Key Facts
- Eritrea stopped cooperating with the UK on returning rejected asylum seekers and criminals earlier this year.
- The UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, threatened to ban all Eritrean citizens from entering the UK if cooperation does not resume.
- Eritreans were the largest group arriving in the UK by small boat in the year ending June 2026.
- Only about 4% of Eritreans denied asylum have been deported in the past four years.
- Similar visa restriction threats have been made before with Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leading some to agree to returns.
- The UK has also imposed visa limits on nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan due to abuse of the asylum system.
- Other countries such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bangladesh may face similar visa restrictions if they do not cooperate on returns.
- Most Eritrean asylum claims (about 84%) are accepted initially, with more approved on appeal.
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