Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned that the UK could ban all Eritreans from entering the country if Eritrea’s government does not accept more returns of small boat migrants and foreign national offenders.
Restrictions on Eritrean diplomats
From Thursday, Eritrean diplomats will face restrictions on their movement. They will need permission to travel more than 60km outside London. The Home Office said the measure mirrors restrictions placed on British officials in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital. Fast-track visas for VIPs will also be stopped.
Mahmood said Eritrea had been given every chance to accept the return of criminals and people with no right to be in the UK. She said that, unlike other countries, it had refused. She added that she would not hesitate to impose further measures on other countries that refuse to cooperate.
The UK government accused Eritrean authorities of abruptly withdrawing cooperation earlier this year. The Eritrean embassy in London has been contacted for comment.
Scale of small boat arrivals
Eritreans were the most common nationality among small boat migrants in the 12 months to June, accounting for 18% of arrivals, according to figures from the House of Commons Library.
Home Office data shows that more than 20,400 people have arrived by small boat so far this year. That is down 40% on the same period last year.
Asylum figures and expert view
Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said targeting Eritrea would have little impact. She noted that Eritrea is one of the main countries of origin for asylum seekers in the UK, with roughly 7,000 applications in the latest data, or about 8% of the total.
She said most Eritreans who claim asylum cannot be removed. She pointed to an 84% success rate at the initial decision stage, with more likely to succeed on appeal. She added that about 1,400 people were initially refused, although that number would fall after appeals.
Sumption also said the government may avoid targeting certain countries to protect trade relationships. She pointed to Pakistan and Bangladesh as countries with high numbers of refused asylum seekers who are not returned, but said a visa ban on them would have far wider effects, given the number of international students and work visa holders.
Background on the policy
Last November, the Home Office said it was prepared to suspend visas from countries that fail to cooperate with the return of their citizens. Earlier this year, the UK threatened visa restrictions against Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Angola and Namibia agreed to changes before restrictions were introduced. Restrictions on the DR Congo were lifted after cooperation on returns improved.
Between July 2025 and June this year, there were 40,605 returns from the UK, an 8% increase on the previous year. Of those returned, fewer than 6,000 had been convicted of a criminal offence. Independent returns, which take place without government involvement, made up 34% of the total. People from India accounted for 27% of all returns.
The UK also ran a scheme with France until September, under which people who arrived by small boat could be returned to France. For each person sent back, the UK accepted an asylum seeker in return. As of 30 June, 1,087 people had been returned under this arrangement.
