The UK government has escalated its new "returns-first" diplomacy by formally restricting visa services for citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after Kinshasa refused to accept the deportation of failed asylum-seekers and foreign offenders. Fast-track services for DRC applicants have been suspended and senior Congolese officials will no longer receive preferential treatment—a step Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned could be followed by a total visa ban if co-operation does not improve.
In parallel, London has concluded bilateral readmission agreements with Angola and Namibia, both of which responded positively to similar warnings. The deals allow UK enforcement teams to charter direct removal flights and streamline paperwork, cutting average deportation timelines from months to weeks. According to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, more than 50,000 immigration offenders have been removed since July 2024—a 23 % year-on-year rise—and the new accords are designed to accelerate that trend.
Companies and individual travellers navigating these rapidly changing rules can simplify the process by using VisaHQ’s online platform, which offers real-time updates on UK entry requirements, document checks, and application tracking in one place. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
![UK tightens screws on DR Congo with visa sanctions while sealing removal pacts with Angola and Namibia]()
The sanctions regime is enabled by 2022 legislation that lets ministers curtail, or even suspend, entry clearance services to countries that obstruct deportations. Until now the power had been unused; deploying it against a large Sub-Saharan nation sends a clear signal that the Labour government is prepared to weaponise visas to secure returns.
For UK-based corporates the immediate fallout is administrative. Congolese business travellers and assignees will face longer processing times and potentially have to travel abroad for biometrics, while Angolan and Namibian nationals may see quicker turn-arounds as removal pacts improve overall co-operation. Multinationals with regional talent pipelines should review mobility timelines and consider redistributing assignments to mitigate risk.
More broadly, the episode underscores a policy shift toward transactional migration diplomacy, echoing Australia’s use of “visa leverage” and the United States’ recent Section 243(d) sanctions. Mobility teams should expect the UK to replicate the model with other reluctant countries in 2026.
In parallel, London has concluded bilateral readmission agreements with Angola and Namibia, both of which responded positively to similar warnings. The deals allow UK enforcement teams to charter direct removal flights and streamline paperwork, cutting average deportation timelines from months to weeks. According to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, more than 50,000 immigration offenders have been removed since July 2024—a 23 % year-on-year rise—and the new accords are designed to accelerate that trend.
Companies and individual travellers navigating these rapidly changing rules can simplify the process by using VisaHQ’s online platform, which offers real-time updates on UK entry requirements, document checks, and application tracking in one place. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
The sanctions regime is enabled by 2022 legislation that lets ministers curtail, or even suspend, entry clearance services to countries that obstruct deportations. Until now the power had been unused; deploying it against a large Sub-Saharan nation sends a clear signal that the Labour government is prepared to weaponise visas to secure returns.
For UK-based corporates the immediate fallout is administrative. Congolese business travellers and assignees will face longer processing times and potentially have to travel abroad for biometrics, while Angolan and Namibian nationals may see quicker turn-arounds as removal pacts improve overall co-operation. Multinationals with regional talent pipelines should review mobility timelines and consider redistributing assignments to mitigate risk.
More broadly, the episode underscores a policy shift toward transactional migration diplomacy, echoing Australia’s use of “visa leverage” and the United States’ recent Section 243(d) sanctions. Mobility teams should expect the UK to replicate the model with other reluctant countries in 2026.
