UK threatens Eritreans with total visa ban over migrant return policy

Britain's Home Secretary has threatened to ban all Eritreans from entering the country unless Asmara agrees to the return of more small boat migrants and convicted criminals. Shabana Mahmood says VIPs and officials from Eritrea have already been stripped of fast-track access to UK visas. And as of Thursday, diplomats based in the UK will face restrictions on their movements outside London. It says they'll now be barred from travelling 60km beyond the capital without permission from the Home Office, mirroring similar restrictions placed on British officials in Asmara. The Home Office says the warning comes after Eritrea abruptly withdrew returns cooperation earlier this year and after months of efforts to resolve the matter privately. Eritreans were the most common nationality arriving in the UK by small boat in the year ending June 2026. The British government says returns arrangements are vital for failed asylum seekers and criminals. It says less than 4% of people whose claims were rejected in the past four years have been deported. Mahmoud says other nations could face similar visa restrictions if they fail to accept migrant returns.