The first major policy move by newly appointed home secretary Shabana Mahmood has been to wield the government’s new “visa-brake” powers against Eritrea. From 15 October the Home Office has stripped Eritrean diplomats and VIPs of priority processing and warned Asmara that **all** categories of UK visas—including visit, study and work routes—will be halted unless the east-African state resumes cooperation in taking back citizens who have no legal right to remain in Britain. Mahmood’s statement follows months of private diplomacy during which Eritrea, the single largest nationality arriving by small boat in the 12 months to June 2026, withdrew permission for charter removal flights. Officials say only 4 percent of the 2,626 Eritreans refused asylum since 2022 have been returned. By tying visa access to returns cooperation, ministers hope to create leverage similar to that which persuaded Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign accelerated returns pacts earlier this year. In practice the measures mean Eritrean officials must now seek Foreign Office permission to travel more than 60 km beyond London, and their applications will be subject to the same biometric scrutiny and standard service levels as ordinary travellers. The Home Office says the next step—should talks fail—would be a statutory instrument under the Immigration Act 2025 designating Eritrea as a ‘visa-blocked country’, automatically refusing all entry clearance apart from limited humanitarian exemptions. Business immigration advisers warn multinationals that employ Eritrean nationals in the UK of potential knock-on effects. Skilled Worker visa holders are not directly targeted, but family visit applications and future assignments could be caught if a full ban is imposed. Companies are urged to audit employee nationality data and ensure alternative travel or remote-work arrangements are in place for staff who may be affected. The Eritrean embassy called the move a “perfunctory political gimmick”, arguing that forced returns breach international human-rights obligations given the country’s indefinite national-service policy. NGOs including Amnesty International have echoed those concerns, but Home Office officials insist the policy only suspends visas for those with no right to remain and that all asylum claims will continue to be considered on their merits.
Source: Home Office & The Guardian
