Eritrea dismisses Mahmood visa ban threat as ‘political gimmick’

Home Secretary vows to bar all applicants unless African nation takes back illegal immigrants

Country described Home Secretary's decision as regrettable

Eritrea described Shabana Mahmood decision as regrettable Credit: Oli Scarff /AFP /Getty

Eritrea has dismissed Shabana Mahmood’s threat to impose Trump-style visa sanctions in a row over migrant returns as a “perfunctory political gimmick”.

The African nation’s UK embassy responded after the Home Secretary threatened to block visas for all Eritreans unless it took back its criminals and illegal immigrants, the majority arriving on small boats.

The Telegraph revealed that Ms Mahmood had already issued instructions to strip Eritrean VIPs and diplomats of their fast-track visa access to Britain after accusing the country of reneging on an agreement to take back migrants refused asylum or convicted of crimes in the UK.

Ms Mahmood has also barred all Eritrean diplomats in the UK from travelling 37 miles beyond London without permission from the Foreign Office.

It follows similar visa sanctions that Ms Mahmood threatened against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia and Angola in December last year. The warnings forced them into an about turn where they agreed to take back thousands of criminals and illegal migrants within three months.

However, Eritrea’s UK embassy “categorically” rejected her claims. In a statement, it said: “The Government of the state of Eritrea does not accept the forced return of its citizens and has duly communicated this fact to British Government officials on various occasions.

“Despite Eritrea’s repeated requests for constructive discussion with relevant UK authorities on the dignified return of its citizens, the UK has shown no interest to engage in meaningful and appropriate dialogue.”

Describing the Home Secretary’s decision as regrettable, the statement added: “The act is nothing more than a perfunctory political gimmick. The fact is, the UK has not issued a single visa to an Eritrean official since 2023.”

A Home office spokesman said: “The Eritrean Government’s press notice misrepresents the UK’s position and contains numerous factual inaccuracies”

The row has exploded into the public arena after months of diplomatic talks behind the scenes to persuade the Eritreans to take back illegal migrants.

Home Office sources rejected Eritrea’s claims as “complete nonsense”. They denied that no visas had been issued to officials, noting that in August an Eritrean minister was granted fast-track entry to the UK and exempted from immigration controls.

They rejected claims the UK had shown a lack of interest in dialogue when, instead, it was Eritrea who had refused to engage constructively.

Just 106 failed asylum seekers from Eritrea have been deported out of 2,626 whose claims were rejected in the past four years, equivalent to fewer than 4 per cent. Nearly 6,000 Eritreans have reached the UK across the Channel in the year to June, the highest number of any nationality.

Ms Mahmood said: “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.

“My message to the Eritrean government is simple: take back your nationals or face a complete ban on your citizens entering the UK. I will not hesitate to impose further measures on other countries refusing to co-operate.”

Only last month Radiet Meles, 35, an Eritrean migrant who entered the UK illegally, was convicted of raping a woman after the Home Office failed to deport him following an earlier sex offence.

Despite serving a five-year prison sentence for the attempted rape of an unconscious woman at a house party in Newport, South Wales, Meles was neither deported nor monitored upon his release. The registered sex offender was instead permitted to return to Newport, where he went on to attack another woman.

Meles arrived in the UK concealed inside a lorry that passed through the Channel Tunnel in 2015. In 2019, he was found guilty of attempted rape after sexually assaulting a heavily intoxicated woman who was unconscious at a house party.

Restrictions echo Trump policy

The sanctions mirror visa bans and restrictions that Donald Trump, the US president, has placed on nearly 40 countries.

The UK is seeking to restore a returns agreement which had been in place between 2024 and March 2026 until officials said Eritrea “abruptly” ended co-operation earlier this year.

In the year to June 2026, 6,952 Eritrean asylum seekers arrived in the UK, the second-highest number of any nationality. This included 5,875 by small boats. Eritreans have a high asylum-approval rate of 83.1 per cent.

The DRC, Namibia and Angola agreed to the return of their citizens in February after Ms Mahmood threatened to ban visas for the countries’ ministers, diplomats and tourists.

Their about-turn meant up to 4,000 convicted criminals, including murderers, rapists and illegal migrants could be deported to the African states.

After the success of the sanction threats, Ms Mahmood warned other countries that they faced similar visa restrictions if they continued to refuse to take back unwanted individuals.

India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia, Egypt and Gabon have been identified as resistant to taking back illegal migrants and could face sanctions.

Eritrea accuses Shabana Mahmood of 'political gimmick ...