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The UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has issued a stern warning to Eritrea, threatening to ban all Eritrean nationals from entering the United Kingdom if the country fails to accept an increased number of returns involving small boat migrants and foreign national offenders. Starting on Thursday, Eritrean diplomats in the UK will face new restrictions, including limits on their travel beyond London. Additionally, fast-track visas for VIPs from Eritrea will be suspended as part of the government’s escalating pressure tactics.
This move reflects a broader pattern by UK ministers, who have previously used visa bans to compel other nations into cooperating with the return of their citizens. Eritreans constituted the largest group among small boat migrants arriving in the UK over the past year, making up 18% of all arrivals according to statistics from the House of Commons Library. A spokesperson for the Eritrean embassy in London has been approached for comment on the matter.
In her statement, Mahmood emphasized Eritrea’s refusal to accept the return of individuals deemed criminals or those without legal rights to remain in the UK. She declared, “Eritrea has had every chance to accept the return of criminals and those with no right to be in the UK. Unlike other countries, it has refused.” She also indicated a willingness to extend similar sanctions to other uncooperative countries, saying she would not hesitate “to impose further measures on other countries refusing to co-operate.” The UK government criticized Eritrean authorities for “abruptly” halting cooperation earlier in the year.
Under the new restrictions, Eritrean diplomats will be prohibited from traveling more than 60 kilometers outside London unless they obtain prior permission. The Home Office noted that these measures mirror the limitations imposed on British officials stationed in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara. Previously, the UK had announced similar threats against Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Notably, restrictions against the DRC, announced last year, were lifted after improvements in return cooperation. Angola and Namibia both took preemptive steps to avoid the enforcement of these penalties. Mahmood’s recent asylum policy announcements indicated that visa penalties serve as an “emergency brake” on visas for countries with high asylum claimants who do not repatriate their citizens residing illegally in the UK.
Data from the Home Office reveals that since the start of this year, over 20,400 individuals have arrived in the UK via small boats—a figure that reflects a 40% decline compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the total number of returns and deportations in the 12 months from July 2025 to June this year exceeded 40,600, marking an 8% increase from the same period last year. Of those returned, fewer than 6,000 had been convicted of criminal offenses
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