Britain is considering a bold new move to pressure countries that refuse to take back their citizens who are living in the UK illegally.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced on Monday that nations failing to cooperate with deportations could see their citizens face visa restrictions when trying to travel to the UK—and potentially other allied countries.
Five Eyes Nations Explore Coordinated Action
Ms Mahmood made the announcement as members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—met in London to discuss a joint approach.
“For countries that do not play ball, we’ve been talking about how we can take much more coordinated action between the Five Eyes countries,” she said.
“That could mean cutting visas in the future, just to make clear that if one of your citizens has no right to be in our country, you need to take them back.”
She added that the plan represents a new space for international collaboration, particularly with nations that are not accepting their nationals back.
Labour Government Signals Tough Stance on Small Boats
Vowing to tackle illegal small boat crossings, Ms Mahmood emphasized that this is a Labour-led initiative with Labour policy at its core.
“We’ve been looking at this for some time.
There has to be a strong approach to maintaining our border, and that means sending a clear message to countries that do not take their citizens back,” she said.
While the policy represents a Labour proposal, it is expected to build on measures introduced by former Conservative Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel.
The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 allows the Home Secretary to impose a “visa penalty provision” on countries not cooperating with returns.
Details of the Proposal Remain Unclear
At this stage, the exact details of Mahmood’s proposals have not been released.
It is unclear whether the scheme would be reciprocal, meaning citizens from uncooperative countries could also face visa restrictions in other Five Eyes nations.
The announcement comes amid a sharp rise in small boat arrivals, with more than 30,000 people crossing the Channel so far this year—up 37% from last year.
On Saturday alone, 1,097 arrivals were recorded, highlighting the urgency for the government to act.
Military Bases Considered as Temporary Migrant Accommodation
To address the growing crisis, ministers are revisiting the idea of using military bases to house asylum seekers.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard indicated that previously scrapped plans to use RAF Scampton, a historic Dambusters site in Lincolnshire, could be reconsidered.
The Conservative government spent nearly £50 million preparing Scampton as an asylum camp, but the Labour government canceled the project in 2024, citing poor value for money.
Pollard explained that the Ministry of Defence is now reviewing all potential sites, including military locations previously assessed by the Home Office.
“We’re looking at all the military sites that the MoD has.
Some of those have been visited by the Home Office in the past, under both this Government and the previous administration,” he said.