UK Threatens To Suspend Visas for Countries That Refuse to Take Back Migrants

September 8, 2025

New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned that the UK could suspend visas for countries that refuse to take back their citizens who have no legal right to stay in the UK.

Speaking after meetings with allies from the Five Eyes intelligence group — including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — Mahmood said, “For countries that do not play ball, we have been talking about taking much more coordinated action between the Five Eyes countries. And for us that means the possibility of cutting visas in the future to say we do expect countries to play by the rules, and if one of your citizens has no right to be in our country, you do need to take them back.”

Her comments come as the number of Channel crossings this year passed 30,000, with over 1,000 people arriving in small boats in a single day. Mahmood called the situation “utterly unacceptable” and promised a firm approach. She added that Labour’s policy is to do “whatever it takes” to maintain border control, which includes possibly cutting visas to pressure uncooperative countries.

Alongside immigration, Mahmood confirmed plans to reform how the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in the UK, saying the current system doesn’t strike the right balance between protecting human rights and securing borders. She also backed efforts to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into alternative sites, including military facilities, as part of a wider immigration overhaul.