UK Tightens Migration Policy, Imposes Visa Curbs on DRC and Secures Return Deals with Angola and Namibia.
The United Kingdom has sharply escalated its migration crackdown, imposing visa restrictions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) while announcing new migrant return agreements with Angola and Namibia, in what officials describe as the opening phase of a far tougher border regime.
In a statement late Saturday, the UK Home Office accused the DRC of failing to cooperate with Britain’s demands to take back undocumented migrants and foreign nationals convicted of crimes. As a result, London has stripped Congolese officials of fast-track visa services and preferential treatment for senior decision-makers—a move the government warned could expand into a complete visa suspension if compliance does not improve.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was blunt. “If one of their citizens has no right to be here, they must take them back,” she said, thanking Angola and Namibia for agreeing to increase returns. “Now is the time for the DRC to do the right thing—take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country.”
The measures mark the first concrete enforcement actions under sweeping asylum reforms unveiled last month by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government. The new framework fundamentally reshapes Britain’s refugee system: asylum status will become temporary, reviewed every 30 months, and refugees will be required to return home once their countries are deemed safe. The waiting period for permanent residency will rise from five to 20 years, and the government plans to curb the use of the European Convention on Human Rights to block deportations.
Officials argue the changes are necessary to stem irregular migration, particularly small-boat crossings from France. More than 39,000 people have arrived this year alone—already exceeding all of 2024—though still below the record levels of 2022. Mahmood described the asylum system as “out of control and unfair,” calling the reforms an “uncomfortable truth” the government must confront.
The Foreign Office says the crackdown is already delivering results. Since July last year, more than 50,000 people with no legal right to remain have been removed—a 23 percent increase on the previous period—with diplomats instructed to prioritize return agreements.
But the policy has ignited fierce backlash. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn branded the approach “draconian,” accusing the government of appeasing “racist right-wing forces” while undermining international human rights commitments. Refugee advocates warn the measures will not deter crossings and risk leaving vulnerable people in prolonged legal limbo.
With asylum applications at a record high—around 111,000 in the year to June 2025—the UK is betting that pressure on origin countries, coupled with tougher domestic rules, will restore control. The visa curbs on the DRC send a clear message: cooperation is no longer optional. Whether the strategy reduces migration—or deepens political and humanitarian tensions—will define Britain’s next chapter on asylum and borders.
