According to a statement by Britain’s interior ministry late Saturday, further measures—including a potential complete halt on visas—could follow unless the DRC rapidly improves its cooperation.
The curbs immediately affect VIPs and decision-makers from the DRC, who will lose preferential visa treatment, while fast-track processing for all DRC nationals has been revoked.
The move follows warnings issued in November by Britain’s interior minister, Shabana Mahmood, who threatened the DRC, Angola, and Namibia with visa bans unless they accepted the return of irregular migrants. The ministry accused the three countries of repeatedly frustrating the removal of thousands of illegal migrants and criminals, describing their returns processes as “unacceptably poor and obstructive.” Officials noted that the countries had refused to process paperwork properly and required individuals to sign their own documents, effectively blocking deportations.
While Angola and Namibia agreed to improve their processes and cooperate with migrant returns, the DRC has yet to fully comply. “If one of their citizens has no right to be here, they must take them back,” Mahmood said. “Now is the time for the Democratic Republic of Congo to do the right thing: take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country.”
Reacting to Britain’s announcement, the DRC said it had begun discussions with the UK to resolve the issue. Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told AFP that a technical meeting was scheduled for Tuesday to reach a convergence of views and agreement. He emphasized that the return of migrants must respect established norms and added that Britain’s measures “cannot be applied while discussions are ongoing.” Both sides aim to resolve the matter by January 30.
Immigration has become a deeply divisive issue in the UK, fueling the rise of the anti-immigration Reform UK party, which currently leads in opinion polls ahead of local elections scheduled for next May.