UK withdraws fast-track visas for Eritrean officials over returns dispute
The UK has ended preferential, fast-track visa processing for Eritrean government officials and warned that it could suspend visas for Eritrean nationals if cooperation on returns does not improve. The Home Office says the dispute concerns the return of people who have no legal right to remain in the UK.
The department also said Eritrean diplomats will need Foreign Office permission to travel more than 60 kilometres beyond London. It says Eritrea withdrew cooperation on returns earlier this year and that the UK had tried to resolve the issue through private discussions.
The measures are government policy announcements; any wider visa suspension remains a threat rather than an action already in force. The Home Office says it has previously lifted restrictions on other countries after cooperation on returns improved.
Source
- Home Office, 15 October 2026
