The United Kingdom has imposed new visa restrictions on citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), escalating a diplomatic dispute over the repatriation of undocumented migrants and foreign criminals. The move reflects a broader hardening of Britain’s immigration policy as the government seeks to demonstrate tougher border enforcement amid record asylum applications and growing domestic political pressure.

Announced over the weekend by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the measures specifically target senior officials and influential figures from DR Congo, who will no longer benefit from preferential visa arrangements. In addition, fast-track visa processing has been withdrawn for all Congolese applicants, significantly slowing down access to the UK for business, diplomatic, and personal travel.

According to the Home Office, the decision was taken after authorities in Kinshasa repeatedly failed to cooperate with British efforts to deport undocumented migrants and individuals with criminal convictions. London claims that DR Congo has obstructed the return of its nationals, despite multiple warnings and diplomatic engagements aimed at resolving the issue.

The visa curbs follow a warning issued in November, when Mahmood publicly cautioned DR Congo, Angola, and Namibia that visa sanctions would be imposed unless they improved cooperation on repatriation. At the time, the UK government said it was attempting to deport approximately 4,000 undocumented migrants whose countries of origin were refusing to accept their return.

While Angola and Namibia subsequently pledged to improve their procedures and accept the return of their nationals, DR Congo did not provide sufficient assurances,........

© Blitz