The UK government has stripped the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of access to fast-track visa services and preferential treatment for VIPs and top officials, warning that even tougher measures could follow.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud announced on Saturday that London may go as far as blocking visa applications from all Congolese citizens if Kinshasa fails to cooperate in taking back its nationals who have no legal right to remain in the UK.
“This is just the start of the measures I am taking to secure our border and ramp up the removal of those with no right to be here,” Mahmoud 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.”
She noted that Namibia and Angola had agreed to cooperate with the UK’s new return arrangements, contrasting their stance with that of the DRC.
The move comes on the back of sweeping immigration reforms unveiled last month as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government seeks to curb irregular migration and tighten control over the asylum system.
Key elements of the reforms include:
- Temporary asylum status: Refugee status will no longer automatically lead toward permanent settlement.
- Faster deportation: Migrants who enter the UK without valid documents face accelerated removal processes.
- Regular reviews: Asylum status will be reviewed every 30 months, with individuals required to return home once their countries are deemed safe.
- Longer path to settlement: Asylum seekers will now have to wait 20 years before applying for permanent residency, up from the current five years.
Official data shows asylum claims in the UK have hit record levels, with more than 100,000 people applying to remain in the country in the year to June 2025.
Critics have slammed the new measures as “barbaric,” accusing the government of abandoning the UK’s long-standing reputation as a safe haven for refugees in order to appease hardline and far-right sentiment on immigration.
