UK Threatens Border Closure Over Eritrea’s Deportation Refusal

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The British government has threatened to close its borders to Eritreans unless the Eritrean government agrees to take back failed asylum seekers and criminal migrants from the UK. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that Eritrea has refused to cooperate with the UK’s efforts to deport those who have no right to remain in the country, leaving a significant backlog of deportations.

Deportation Backlog and Eritrean Asylum Success Rate

Eritreans are among the largest groups of boat migrants arriving in England, but due to the war-torn status of their country, they are also more likely to receive asylum approval. However, around 2,600 Eritrean asylum seekers have been rejected in the past four years, and most should be deported. Despite this, only about 100 have been successfully sent back, with the rest still pending removal.

UK’s Threat to Ban Eritrean Travel and Diplomats

As a response, the UK has warned that unless Eritrea cooperates, it will impose a complete ban on Eritrean citizens entering the UK. Additionally, Eritrean VIPs have had their visa preferences canceled, and diplomats in Britain have been restricted from leaving London without government permission. Similar measures have been used in the past against countries like Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which eventually agreed to cooperate.

Farage’s Deportation Pledge and Broader Immigration Policy

The threat follows a recent announcement by Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, who pledged to deport all illegal migrants if he becomes Prime Minister. Farage has called for visa bans, restricted airline travel between the UK and problematic countries, and even the shutdown of the UK’s asylum system for up to five years. He has also claimed that migrants from certain regions are more likely to commit crimes, citing statistics about sexual assault in Afghanistan.

Challenges in Deportation and National Security Concerns

Deporting unwanted migrants, criminals, and failed asylum seekers remains a complex and slow process for many countries. While the UK continues to emphasize the importance of these efforts, the political pressure to act decisively is mounting, especially with promises of stricter measures from opposition leaders like Farage.

Source: Breitbart