The United Kingdom has threatened to impose visa bans on citizens of three African countries unless they agree to take back irregular migrants, ahead of the government’s announcement of a sweeping overhaul of the asylum system.
In a statement released on Monday, the Home Office said Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo would no longer receive UK visas if they fail to cooperate in accepting the return of “their criminals and illegal immigrants.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to unveil what officials describe as the “most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times.”
Mahmood said the “current policy environment is about to very significantly change”, after trailing the announcement of “far-reaching” reforms later today. The home secretary said she has a “moral duty” to fix the “broken asylum system” and “unite what is today a divided country”
She also said that the UK will not be leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), but it will pursue reform – particularly on Article 8, which refers to the right to privacy and family life
Home Office minister Mike Tapp said the government is tackling the “underlying causes” of immigration – such as an over-reliance on migrant workers and raising the bar on who can come into the UK
