The UK government has imposed significant visa restrictions on citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a major escalation of its efforts to force cooperation on the removal of illegal migrants and foreign criminals.
Sanctions Over "Obstructive" Returns Processes
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the punitive measures after the DRC failed to agree to new processes designed to make deportations easier. The UK has revoked fast-track visa processing and halted preferential treatment for Congolese diplomats and VIPs. This action follows warnings issued in October to the DRC, alongside Angola and Namibia, for maintaining what the Home Office described as "unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes."
Ms Mahmood stated that while Angola and Namibia have since agreed to new cooperation frameworks, allowing removals to proceed in the coming months, the DRC has not followed suit. "We expect countries to play by the rules," the Home Secretary said. "If one of their citizens has no right to be here, they must take them back."
A Disproportionate Impact on Removal Efforts
The Home Office revealed that these three nations, while accounting for a minuscule fraction of UK visas granted, have frustrated efforts to remove thousands of individuals. From the start of the year to June, the UK granted over 800,000 visas for various reasons. Of these, only 299 were for DRC nationals, 273 for Angolans, and 140 for Namibians.
Similarly, they represented a tiny number of illegal arrivals via irregular routes, with just 11 from the DRC and three from Angola recorded in the same period. However, officials accused the DRC of systematically blocking returns by refusing to process paperwork and requiring individuals to sign their own deportation documents, effectively allowing them to veto their own removal.
A "Transactional" Diplomatic Push on Migration
The visa restrictions are part of a broader, tougher stance on migration under the Labour government. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has instructed the diplomatic corps worldwide to adopt a more "transactional approach" to prioritise returns. "Today's announcement shows that when countries work with us, we can achieve more rapid results," Cooper stated.
The government reports that since taking office in July 2024, it has deported nearly 50,000 people and removed over 7,000 foreign national offenders. A government source warned that the Home Secretary "won't hesitate to go further and ban visas to other countries who refuse to take their citizens back."
Ms Mahmood issued a final warning to the DRC authorities: "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."
