Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned that the UK could suspend visas for Eritrean nationals unless the Eritrean government resumes cooperation over the return of people with no right to remain in Britain.
The warning, issued on Thursday 15 October 2026, accompanies new restrictions that the Home Office says take effect immediately. A complete visa ban has not yet been imposed.
Restrictions on officials and diplomats begin
According to the Home Office, Eritrean government officials and VIPs will no longer receive preferential fast-track processing for UK visa applications.
Eritrean diplomats will also be prohibited from travelling more than 60 kilometres (37 miles) beyond London without permission from the Foreign Office. The government says the travel restriction mirrors limits applied to British officials in Eritrea's capital, Asmara.
Dispute over returns
Ministers say Eritrea withdrew cooperation on returning its nationals earlier in 2026, despite subsequent diplomatic attempts to resolve the dispute. The government says effective returns arrangements are needed to remove people whose asylum applications have been refused and foreign nationals liable to deportation.
Mahmood said Eritrea must agree to accept the return of its nationals or risk losing access to UK visas altogether. The proposed blanket ban is a conditional threat, not a measure currently in force.
The Home Office says Eritrean nationals were the most common nationality among people arriving by small boat in the year ending June 2026. That statistic does not establish that every Eritrean arrival lacks a valid asylum claim; protection applications remain subject to individual assessment.
Government points to other returns agreements
The Home Office cited earlier pressure on Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, saying those countries subsequently improved cooperation on returns. It also announced a migration agreement with Egypt which it expects to reduce the time required for certain returns from approximately 30 weeks to three weeks. That is a government projection, not a verified outcome already achieved.
The announcement marks a further escalation in the government's use of visa and diplomatic measures to encourage cooperation on immigration enforcement.