The Home Secretary announced on 15 October 2026 that Eritrea's preferential visa processing for VIPs and officials ends that day, and that all visas for Eritreans may be blocked without rapid progress on returns.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said on 15 October 2026 that the Home Office will scrap Eritrea's preferential visa processing for VIPs and government officials with effect from that day. The government describes this as fast-track access to UK visas.
She also warned that she will block all visas for Eritreans if Eritrea does not rapidly agree to the return of its nationals who have no right to be in the UK. The announcement says Eritrea withdrew returns co-operation earlier this year, and that months of private efforts by the UK to resolve the matter did not succeed.
The government states that Eritreans were the most common nationality arriving by small boat in the year ending June 2026.
Eritrea's diplomats are also now barred from travelling 60 kilometres (37 miles) beyond London without permission from the Foreign Office. The government says this mirrors restrictions placed on British officials in Asmara.
The announcement refers to three countries that were threatened with visa penalties after the Home Secretary took up her post: Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to the source, all three chose to improve co-operation:
- Angola and Namibia quickly agreed enhanced arrangements after the threat last autumn.
- The DRC was slower, and the Home Secretary imposed visa measures, including restrictions on officials and visas. After 6 months of sustained co-operation, with returns flights now running, those restrictions have been lifted.
The government also says it is strengthening returns co-operation with other countries. A new migration deal with Egypt is expected to cut the time taken to return Egyptian nationals with no right to be in the UK by around 90%, from around 30 weeks to 3 weeks.
The announcement does not set a deadline for Eritrea, and it does not say which visa routes a wider block would cover.
What this means for applicants
The source describes no change for ordinary Eritrean applicants at this stage. The change in effect from 15 October 2026 applies to preferential processing for VIPs and government officials. A block on all visas for Eritreans is a warning, not a measure in force.
Sources
- Home Secretary threatens Eritrea with visa penalties, GOV.UK, 15 October 2026