Eritreans could be barred from entering the UK unless their government agrees to take back more rejected asylum seekers and foreign criminals, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned. VIPs and officials from the east African country have already lost their fast-track access to British visas after Asmara refused to cooperate with deportation efforts.
The warning follows an abrupt decision by Eritrea earlier this year to pull out of returns cooperation with the UK, according to the Home Office. Refugee organizations have cautioned against penalizing Eritrean asylum applicants, noting that the country is conflict-ridden and famine-stricken, and the UK traditionally grants asylum to the vast majority of applicants from the region.
Eritreans accounted for the largest single nationality arriving via small boats across the Channel in the year leading up to June, with nearly 6,000 individuals reaching the UK. Government figures show that just over 100 refused Eritrean asylum seekers have been deported out of 2,626 whose claims were rejected over the past four years, representing a deportation rate of less than 4%.
Mahmood stated that Eritrea has had ample opportunity to accept the repatriation of criminals and individuals with no legal right to remain in Britain. Stressing that refusal will lead to a complete entry ban for all Eritrean citizens, she added that she will not hesitate to impose additional measures against other uncooperative nations.
The latest warning mirrors similar visa sanction threats issued against Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2025. While Angola and Namibia ultimately agreed to migrant return demands, the DRC faced restrictions before reaching an agreement with the UK in February.
In March, ministers also instituted emergency visa freezes for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan after accusations that they were exploiting the UK asylum system. Following the perceived success of these past measures, the Home Secretary indicated that nations such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia, Egypt, and Gabon also risk sanctions for resisting migrant returns.
Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, noted that Eritreans account for about 8% of total asylum applications, amounting to roughly 7,000 cases. With approximately 84% succeeding on their initial application and additional approvals granted on appeal, experts are closely watching how the threatened visa restrictions will affect actual return rates.