UK set to suspend visas for countries refusing migrant return deals — what this means for travellers

The UK government, under new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, has indicated it may suspend visas from countries that fail to cooperate on the return of their citizens who have no right to remain in the UK.

Mahmood made these comments while hosting a meeting of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group in London, which included officials from the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

She told SkyNews: "I have one top priority and that is to secure our borders."

The Five Eyes interior and security ministers' meeting, held in London on September 8-9, 2025, was attended by:

They discussed border security, migrant-smuggling gangs, child sexual abuse, and the spread of synthetic opioids.

Addressing the visa issue, Mahmood was quoted by the BBC as saying: "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 ball, play by the rules and if one of your citizens has no right to be in our country, you have to take them back."

She did not specify which countries might be subject to visa suspensions.

This announcement follows record numbers of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, with 1,097 arrivals on Mahmood's first full day as home secretary, contributing to more than 30,000 arrivals so far in 2025 — a 37% spike from last year.

Mahmood described this figure as "utterly unacceptable" and emphasized securing the UK's borders as her "top priority."

The government has previously hinted at visa restrictions tied to countries' cooperation on returns.

In June, the Prime Minister indicated he was considering linking British visas to the willingness of countries to accept failed asylum seekers back.

A spokesman added that Five Eyes cooperation on illegal migration "provides another tool in our armoury" to tackle the issue.

Experts like Dr. Madeleine Sumption, director of Oxford's Migration Observatory, highlight the complex diplomatic dynamics, noting that countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal have low return rates of refused asylum seekers but high demand for UK visas.

She said the impact of visa threats depends on how much these countries value access for their citizens, with India notably lobbying extensively for visa access.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the Labour government, stating, "This Labour government is too weak to take the steps necessary to protect our borders and I see no sign of that changing any time soon," urging for tougher measures including cutting aid to uncooperative countries.

Mahmood's discussions in London included US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, known for her role in the previous US administration's immigration enforcement, alongside ministers from Five Eyes nations.

The alliance, a longstanding and highly effective intelligence-sharing pact, also addressed issues such as online child sexual abuse and opioid trafficking during the summit.

Mahmood, appointed during a significant Cabinet reshuffle, is seen as signalling Starmer's commitment to stronger border control.

Meanwhile, UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, said on Sunday that the government is exploring expanded use of military sites and other accommodations for asylum seekers to ease pressures on hotels currently housing them.