Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has threatened to ban all Eritreans from entering the UK if the east African country's government does not accept more returns of small boat migrants and foreign national offenders.
From Thursday, Eritrean diplomats in Britain face restrictions on their movements outside London, and fast-track visas for Eritrean VIPs have been stopped.
Eritreans were the most common nationality among people arriving on small boats in the 12 months to June, accounting for 18% of arrivals, according to House of Commons Library figures.
'Every chance'
"Eritrea has had every chance to accept the return of criminals and those with no right to be in the UK. Unlike other countries, it has refused," Mahmood said.
She added that she would not hesitate "to impose further measures on other countries refusing to co-operate".
The government accused the Eritrean authorities of "abruptly" withdrawing co-operation on returns earlier this year. Under the new restrictions, Eritrean diplomats are barred from travelling more than 60km outside London without permission. The Home Office said this mirrored restrictions placed on British officials in the Eritrean capital, Asmara.
The Eritrean embassy in London has been asked for comment.
A tactic that has worked before
Ministers have used the threat of visa bans to pressure other countries into accepting returns. Earlier this year the UK threatened Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Restrictions were imposed on the DRC last year, but the Home Office says they were lifted after co-operation improved. Angola and Namibia both agreed changes before any restrictions took effect.
When she announced her overhaul of the asylum system last November, Mahmood said visa penalties – including an "emergency brake" on visas for countries with high numbers of asylum claims – would be applied to governments that refused to take back their citizens.
'Little impact'
But migration experts question whether targeting Eritrea will make much difference.
Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Eritrea was one of the main countries of origin for asylum seekers, with roughly 7,000 applications in the latest year of data – about 8% of the total.
"Most Eritreans who come and claim asylum are not removable at all," she said. "84% are successful at initial decision; more will be successful on appeal." She said about 1,400 people had initially been refused, a figure that would fall further after appeals.
Dr Sumption also suggested the government may be avoiding bigger targets. The largest numbers of refused asylum seekers who have not been returned come from countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, she said – but visa bans there would cause far greater "collateral damage" because of the large numbers of students and workers who travel to the UK legally.
Why Eritreans flee
Eritrea has not held an election since independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and has no independent media. Critics of President Isaias Afwerki have been jailed for years, often without trial. Only four religious groups are permitted, and followers of others have been imprisoned.
Many young Eritreans leave to escape military conscription, which can last for decades. That is a major reason why such a high share of their asylum claims succeed.
The numbers
According to Home Office data, more than 20,400 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year – down 40% on the same period last year.
There were 40,605 returns and deportations from the UK between July 2025 and June 2026, an 8% increase on the previous year. Fewer than 6,000 of those returned had been convicted of a criminal offence.
The Eritrea move is the clearest signal yet that the government intends to use diplomatic pressure, not only domestic policy, to show voters it is getting a grip on returns. Whether Asmara blinks first is another matter.
