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The United Kingdom has threatened to ban Eritrean nationals from entering the country unless Eritrea agrees to accept more of its citizens being returned from Britain, escalating a dispute over migration and deportation cooperation.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Eritrea had repeatedly refused to cooperate with the return of foreign national offenders and people who have no legal right to remain in the UK.
“Eritrea has had every chance to accept the return of criminals and those with no right to be in the UK. Unlike other countries, it has refused,” Mahmood said.
She warned that further measures could be imposed on countries that fail to cooperate with the UK’s returns policy.
UK imposes restrictions on Eritrean diplomats
The British government announced immediate restrictions targeting Eritrean diplomatic representatives in the UK.
From Thursday, October 15, Eritrean diplomats will be required to obtain permission before travelling more than 60 kilometres outside London. The government also plans to withdraw fast-track visa arrangements for prominent Eritrean figures.
The Home Office said the movement restrictions mirror measures imposed on British officials in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara.
The Eritrean Embassy in London had been contacted for comment, according to the initial reporting.
The threatened blanket visa ban would represent a further escalation if the Eritrean government does not agree to cooperate with the UK’s demands.
Eritreans account for 18% of small-boat arrivals
The dispute comes as Eritrean nationals have become the largest nationality group among people detected crossing the English Channel in small boats.
According to the House of Commons Library, Eritreans accounted for 18% of small-boat arrivals in the year ending June 2026, ahead of Sudanese nationals at 13%, Afghans at 12%, Somalis at 12% and Iranians at 11%.
Approximately 33,000 people arrived in the UK by small boat during that 12-month period.
Home Office figures cited in the reporting also indicate that more than 20,400 people had arrived in the UK by small boat since the beginning of 2026, representing a 40% decline compared with the same period in 2025.
The government has made reducing unauthorised migration and increasing removals a central part of its immigration policy.
However, small-boat arrivals and deportations involve different groups of people, and the arrival figures alone do not establish whether an individual has a legal right to remain in the UK.
Britain has previously used visa restrictions
Eritrea is the latest country to face pressure from the British government over cooperation on migrant returns.
In 2025, the UK threatened visa restrictions against Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Home Office subsequently said the restrictions imposed on the DRC had been lifted after cooperation on returns improved. Angola and Namibia also agreed to changes before the threatened restrictions were introduced.
Mahmood had previously outlined a policy of using visa penalties against countries that do not cooperate with the return of their nationals.
The measures can include suspending preferential visa arrangements and restricting access to certain visa routes. The government has also used an emergency visa brake targeting selected categories of applications from other countries.
More than 40,600 returns and deportations recorded
The UK recorded more than 40,600 returns and deportations between July 2025 and June 2026, an increase of 8% compared with the previous 12-month period, according to the figures cited in the report.
Fewer than 6,000 of those returned had been convicted of a criminal offence.
The figures underline that the government’s returns policy covers a broader group than foreign national offenders alone, including people whose immigration status does not give them a legal right to remain in Britain.
The proposed Eritrean visa ban has not been confirmed as implemented. The immediate restrictions concern Eritrean diplomats and fast-track visa arrangements, while the broader threat remains conditional on Eritrea’s response.
The coming days may determine whether the two governments reach an agreement on returns or whether Britain proceeds with further restrictions on Eritrean nationals.
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