London, UK – The British Home Office announced in an official statement that it has concluded new agreements with Angola and Namibia. These agreements stipulate the acceptance of the return of their illegal immigrants and criminals from the United Kingdom, as part of London’s plan to expedite deportations and increase penalties for non-cooperative countries.
“carrot and stick” diplomatic policy
This move came after pressure from the British government, which threatened to impose visa sanctions on countries that refuse to accept their citizens who are not entitled to remain in Britain.
In this context, Angola and Namibia agreed to cooperate fully on the repatriation issue.
London decided to deny the Democratic Republic of Congo “fast-track visa” services and preferential treatment for senior officials, due to its failure to meet cooperation requirements.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood warned that measures could escalate to a “complete suspension of visas” for Congo unless cooperation improves rapidly. She emphasized, “We expect countries to abide by the rules… those who do not have the right to remain here must be sent back.”
Radical reforms in the asylum system
These agreements represent the first significant change within the framework of reforms announced last month, which aim to transform refugee status into a “temporary status” and accelerate the deportation of illegal immigrants.
For her part, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper revealed figures reflecting the government’s seriousness on this issue. She noted that Britain has repatriated more than 50,000 people since July 2024, a 23% increase over the previous period. Cooper emphasized that she had issued strict instructions to British diplomats to make repatriation operations a “top priority” on the UK’s foreign policy agenda.
These moves come amid growing domestic pressure on the British government to address the issue of illegal immigration. A new strategy is emerging that links diplomatic concessions and visa grants to the cooperation of countries of origin in repatriating their citizens.
