UK Announces Sweeping Asylum Reforms, Threatens Visa Bans on Three African Nations

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled a major overhaul of the country’s asylum and immigration system, warning that Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could face visa bans if they refuse to take back deported nationals. The proposed sanctions would block tourists, business travellers, and VIPs from entering the UK, echoing hardline measures previously used in the United States.

The reforms represent one of the most far-reaching changes to Britain’s migration policy in years. The government plans to tighten how the European Convention on Human Rights applies to asylum cases, restrict the right to family life to immediate relatives only, and replace permanent refugee status with temporary protection, subject to review every 30 months.

New technology will also play a key role. AI-based facial age estimation will be used to verify the ages of migrants claiming to be minors, while some asylum seekers may be required to sell non-essential valuables to offset accommodation costs.

Mahmood described the package as a «moral mission» aimed at reducing illegal Channel crossings and deterring abuse of the asylum system. But critics warn the measures could push vulnerable people into the shadows, strain community relations, and risk repeating past injustices such as the Windrush scandal.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Tokyo seeks to calm tensions with Beijing after prime minister’s Taiwan comments spark diplomatic backlash.