Home Secretary warns “take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (Image: Getty)
Britain has imposed its first visa restrictions on a country for failing to take back illegal migrants and criminals. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood slapped the Donald Trump-style restrictions on the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The country’s diplomats and ministers have been stripped of their preferential visa treatment and fast-track entry has been revoked from all its citizens. Ms Mahmood warned she will remove visas completely if it does not start co-operating.
She said: “We expect countries to play by the rules. If one of their citizens has no right to be here they must take them back. I thank Angola and Namibia and welcome their co-operation.
“Now’s the time for the DRC to do the right thing. Take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country.
“This is just the start of the measures I’m taking to secure our border and ramp up the removal of those with no right to be here.”
A government source added: “The Government is scaling up the removal and deportation of illegal migrants.
“While this news is welcome, Mahmood won’t hesitate to go further and ban visas to other countries who refuse to take citizens back.”
Ms Mahmood had previously singled out the DRC, along with Namibia and Angola, for having “unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I have instructed our diplomatic network around the world to make returns a top priority, and today’s announcement shows that when countries work with us, we can achieve more rapid results.
“People who come to the UK illegally, overstay their visas or commit crimes in our country should expect to be returned.”
The sanctions mirror measures the US President has placed on nearly 40 countries.
