The UK is threatening to ban all Eritrean nationals from entering the country unless Eritrea increases its co-operation in accepting people returned from Britain, the BBC reports. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood raised the possibility amid a dispute over the return of migrants who arrived in small boats and Eritrean nationals convicted of crimes. The warning is conditional: it is not an announcement of a ban already in force.
Separate restrictions on Eritrean diplomats and fast-track visa services for VIPs have a specific planned start date. According to the BBC’s report published on 14 October, those measures are due to take effect on Thursday, 15 October 2026. Diplomats will need permission to travel more than 60km outside London, while the fast-track visa service for VIPs is to be suspended.
The Home Office, the UK government department responsible for immigration and domestic security, says the travel restrictions are based on reciprocity. The BBC reports that they are intended to mirror restrictions imposed on British officials in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital. These diplomatic and visa measures are therefore separate from the much wider entry ban Mahmood has threatened if co-operation does not improve.
According to the BBC, the British government accuses Eritrea’s authorities of abruptly withdrawing co-operation on returns earlier this year. Mahmood accused them of refusing to accept convicted offenders and people with no right to remain in the UK. She also raised the possibility of further measures against other countries that refuse to co-operate with returns.
For anyone following the rules on travel to the UK, the distinction between the two announcements matters. The threat affecting all Eritrean nationals remains dependent on their government’s response, whereas the stated start date applies to diplomatic travel restrictions and the fast-track visa service. The BBC report describes those measures as due to come into force; it does not yet confirm their implementation.
The BBC approached Eritrea’s embassy in London for comment. Its published report did not include a response from the embassy to the British government’s allegations.
