UK to Impose Visa Bans on Countries That Refuse to Accept Deported Migrants
The UK government is preparing to introduce strict new visa measures targeting countries that do not take back their nationals who are living illegally in Britain. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has confirmed that the UK will enforce “Trump-style visa bans” on nations that repeatedly fail to cooperate with deportation requests.
First Countries Facing Restrictions
According to early reports, Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to be the first countries affected.
The Home Office says these governments have shown “unacceptably low cooperation” by delaying essential paperwork or demanding that migrants sign their own return documents—something many refuse to do.
As a result, thousands of deportation cases have been stalled.
With the new policy, visa issuance for these countries could be temporarily suspended until cooperation improves.
India May Be Next
Reports also suggest that India could face similar visa restrictions in the near future.
According to The Times (UK), India remains one of the least cooperative nations in accepting deported migrants, which may place it on the UK’s warning list as early as next year—unless progress is made.
Tightening Human Rights Rules for Faster Deportations
Alongside visa restrictions, the UK also plans significant changes to how human rights laws apply in deportation cases:
Article 8 (Right to family and private life) will be interpreted more narrowly. Only immediate family—parents or children—will qualify as meaningful UK ties.
Article 3 (Protection from inhuman treatment) will be redefined to prevent overly broad use by migrants to avoid removal.
Migrants will be required to present all legal arguments at once. If their claim fails, they must leave the UK immediately to avoid prolonged appeal delays.
These reforms are designed to streamline and accelerate deportation processes.
New Legal Pathways for Genuine Refugees
Even as the UK tightens rules on illegal migration, it plans to introduce new work and study routes for legitimate refugees.
The UNHCR will refer eligible candidates, who will then be hosted by families across the UK—mirroring the approach used during the Ukrainian refugee resettlement program.
This initiative aims to reduce reliance on costly asylum hotels, which are expected to exceed £2 billion in spending for 2024–25.
Indians Among the Top Asylum Seekers
In the year ending June 2025:
5,475 Indians applied for asylum in the UK, making them the sixth-largest group.
About 346 Indians arrived illegally via small boats.
Most others entered the UK legally on work or student visas before claiming asylum.
Only 20 Indian applicants were granted asylum, while 2,691 were refused.
The largest asylum-seeking nationalities were Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Eritrea, and Bangladesh.
What Travellers Should Expect
Travellers from countries with low deportation cooperation may soon face:
Stricter visa checks
Longer processing times
Possible suspension of visa services
Anyone planning a UK trip should monitor government announcements closely, as more countries could be added to the restricted list.
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