The United Kingdom has warned Eritrea that it could impose a complete visa ban on its nationals unless the country resumes cooperation on accepting citizens who have no legal right to remain in Britain.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Eritrea must agree to take back people whose asylum claims have been rejected and foreign nationals convicted of crimes in the UK. The government says Eritrean authorities abruptly stopped cooperating on returns in March 2026 after a limited arrangement that had operated since 2024.
From October 15, Eritrean officials and other prominent figures lost access to the UK’s fast-track visa service. Eritrean diplomats in Britain also face restrictions on travelling more than 60 kilometres beyond London. The Home Office said the measures mirror restrictions imposed on British officials in Eritrea.
Mahmood warned that Eritrea could face a complete suspension of visas if it failed to improve cooperation. She also said the government was prepared to take similar action against other countries that refused to accept their nationals.
Eritreans were the largest nationality group among people who crossed the English Channel in small boats in the year ending June 2026. According to the figures cited in the report, about 5,875 Eritreans arrived during that period, accounting for 18 per cent of small-boat arrivals. Eritrean nationals also submitted approximately 7,000 asylum applications, representing around eight per cent of the UK total.
However, migration experts have questioned whether a visa ban would significantly increase deportations. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said 84 per cent of Eritrean asylum claims decided at the initial stage were successful, with some rejected applicants expected to succeed on appeal.
Although around 2,626 Eritrean asylum claims were rejected over four years, only about 100 people were deported, according to figures cited in the report. This represents fewer than four per cent of those whose claims were refused.
Eritrean asylum claims often involve fears of persecution linked to the country’s compulsory national service system and the treatment of people who leave the country without authorisation. Although national service is legally limited to 18 months, the UK Home Office describes it as open-ended and reports concerns about coercion, abuse and conditions resembling forced labour.
People who evade national service, desert or leave Eritrea irregularly may face persecution or serious harm if returned, according to UK country guidance. The Home Office says each asylum application must be assessed individually, based on the applicant’s circumstances and the risks they could face.
Human Rights Watch has also documented restrictions on freedom of expression, religion and political activity in Eritrea, alongside indefinite national service and arbitrary detention. United Nations experts have reported enforced disappearances, torture and prolonged detention without charge or trial.
The UK has previously used visa restrictions to pressure other governments to accept deportees. The Home Office says Angola and Namibia improved cooperation after facing threats of penalties, while restrictions imposed on the Democratic Republic of Congo were later lifted following sustained cooperation and the resumption of returns flights.
Britain is also pursuing agreements with other countries to speed up the return process for nationals who have no right to remain. However, Eritrea’s limited cooperation and the high proportion of successful asylum claims present a challenge for the government’s approach.
The proposed measures have raised concerns that broad visa restrictions could affect Eritreans seeking to travel to Britain for reasons unrelated to deportation, including people who may need international protection.
The dispute comes amid heightened tensions between Eritrea and neighbouring Ethiopia. The two countries have exchanged accusations over security and regional political developments, while international officials have called for de-escalation.
It remains unclear whether the UK’s latest restrictions will persuade Eritrea to resume cooperation or whether the government will proceed with a full visa ban.