African country’s VIP visa privileges scrapped by UK in illegal migrant row
A special visa that allows hassle-free entry to the UK will no longer be available to anyone from the Democratic Republic of the Congo amid a row over illegal migration.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the move after failing to reach a deal with Africa’s fourth most populous country to sort out its returns process.
It means VIPs and top government figures from the DRC will need to apply for a regular visa if they want to visit the UK, and can no longer access a fast-track.
Those in Angola and Namibia, meanwhile, will still be able to get special treatment after the government said those countries were cooperating.
The move comes just over a month after Mahmood initially made the Trump-style threat to revoke visas from the three nations if they didn’t do more to take back illegal migrants and criminals.
At the time, she said: ‘My message to foreign governments today is clear: accept the return of your citizens or lose the privilege of entering our country.’
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The Home Secretary’s latest announcement stops short of blocking all visas from the DRC, but she made clear this option was still open.
According to the Home Office, the three countries targeted by the threat last month were refusing to process the necessary paperwork that would allow the UK to send back migrants.
They would even require people to sign their own deportation documents, meaning the whole operation would grind to a halt if the person refused.
Agreements with Angola and Namibia now mean the process will be smoother, the government said.
Mahmood said: ‘I thank Angola and Namibia and welcome their co-operation.
‘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.
‘This is just the start of the measures I am taking to secure our border and ramp up the removal of those with no right to be here.’
The Home Office said there had been ‘some engagement’ from the DRC since the new limits on visas came into effect.
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