UK threatens visa ban on Eritrea over refusal to accept deportations

On October 15, 2026, UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood threatened a total visa ban on Eritrean citizens unless Eritrea accepts returned criminals and irregular migrants. The UK also restricted diplomat movements outside London and revoked fast-track visa processing. The Eritrean Embassy in London called the decision a political gimmick, asserting the UK refused constructive dialogue and offers blanket asylum that acts as a pull factor. Eritreans formed the largest group of small boat Channel arrivals in the year to June 2026, with 5,875 arrivals, while 84% of initial asylum applications were granted.

UK sanctions against Eritrea

• ▪Effective October 15, 2026, the UK Home Office restricted Eritrean diplomats from travelling more than 60 kilometers outside London without prior permission.
• ▪On October 15, 2026, UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned that all entry for Eritrean citizens into the UK will be banned unless Eritrea accepts returned criminals and irregular migrants.
• ▪Effective October 15, 2026, the UK government stripped fast-track visa processing and VIP preferential access for Eritrean officials.

Dispute over visa claims and cooperation

• ▪On October 15, 2026, the Eritrean Embassy in London rejected the UK visa threat as a political gimmick, asserting the UK issued no visas to Eritrean officials since 2023.
• ▪The UK Home Office rejected the Eritrean embassy's statement, asserting an Eritrean official received an exemption from UK immigration controls in August 2026.
• ▪The UK Home Office stated that Eritrea abruptly withdrew migrant returns cooperation earlier in 2026, while the Eritrean embassy claimed the UK refused constructive dialogue.

Deportations and returns of Eritreans

• ▪The UK Home Office is seeking to deport approximately 230 convicted Eritrean foreign criminals currently in the UK.
• ▪In the year ending June 2026, the UK returned 7 Eritrean nationals directly to Eritrea and 244 Eritreans to third countries.

Statistics on Eritrean arrivals and visas

• ▪Eritreans lodged 6,952 asylum applications in the UK in the year ending June 2026, representing approximately 8% of total UK asylum claims.
• ▪In the year ending June 2026, 84% of initial asylum decisions for Eritrean applicants in the UK were granted.
• ▪In the year ending June 2026, 5,875 Eritrean nationals arrived in the UK via small boats across the English Channel, comprising 18% of all known arrivals.
• ▪In the year ending June 2026, the UK issued 77 work visas, 33 study visas, and 269 tourist visas to Eritrean nationals.

Eritrean Embassy claims on UK asylum

• ▪The Eritrean Embassy in London claimed that Britain's policy of offering prima facie asylum attracts non-Eritrean asylum seekers masquerading as Eritreans.
• ▪The Eritrean Embassy in London claimed that Britain's granting of blanket initial asylum to Eritreans serves as a primary pull factor for migrants.

UK visa threats against other countries

• ▪The UK government identified India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia, Egypt, and Gabon as countries resistant to accepting illegal migrants that could face future UK visa sanctions.
• ▪UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood previously used visa restriction threats to secure migrant returns agreements with Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.