The Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Angola have said they will work with the United Kingdom to take back their nationals who have no right to remain in Britain, following a UK warning that it could apply visa penalties to countries that do not cooperate on returns. The three governments signalled they will support identification and documentation for returnees after talks with UK officials. The Home Office has sought faster cooperation from a number of countries to enforce immigration decisions, including final asylum refusals and removals of foreign offenders after custodial sentences. The commitments from the Central and Southern African states mark a step in the UK’s efforts to increase removals, which depend on origin countries issuing travel documents and accepting charter or scheduled flights for their nationals.
What the governments agreed to do
Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Angola said they would work with the UK on the practical steps needed to return their nationals who are found to have no legal basis to stay. Such cooperation usually includes verifying identity, confirming nationality, and issuing emergency travel documents where passports are not available. These steps allow airlines to board people on flights and enable UK authorities to schedule removals.
The announcements follow discussions with UK counterparts about the pace of documentation and acceptance of returns. The UK has argued that delays in verification and paperwork can stall enforcement, even after courts dismiss appeals. By indicating they will cooperate, the three states have aligned with standard international practice on readmission, which sees countries accept the return of their own citizens after due process in the receiving state.
How UK visa penalties work in practice
UK law allows ministers to apply visa measures when a country does not cooperate on returns, including by slowing processing times or limiting certain services for that nationality. The government describes these steps as a tool to encourage engagement on identity checks and travel documents. Authorities can lift or vary such measures if cooperation improves or formal agreements take effect.
The Home Office assesses cooperation on several practical indicators, including the timeliness of responses to requests, the rate at which emergency travel documents are issued, and the acceptance of scheduled removals. Officials use this data to decide whether to issue warnings or consider visa measures. The policy does not change the legal threshold for visas; it affects the speed and administration of applications until cooperation improves.
What return cooperation involves
Returns cover both enforced removals and voluntary departures. Voluntary returns may include assistance for travel and resettlement support, while enforced removals follow failed asylum claims or the end of custodial sentences for foreign nationals. In all cases, UK authorities must confirm the person’s identity and the receiving country must agree to accept them. Without that confirmation, airlines refuse boarding and removals cannot proceed.
Verification often requires interviews with consular officials, checks against national databases, or the collection of biometrics. If a person lacks a passport, consulates can issue one-way travel documents after confirmation. These steps can take weeks or months. Greater cooperation can shorten timelines, reduce the use of detention, and lead to fewer last-minute cancellations.
The three countries and UK migration flows
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Namibia sit in Central and Southern Africa and have distinct migration patterns. Congolese nationals include people who may claim asylum, reflecting the country’s history of conflict and insecurity in parts of its territory. Angola and Namibia have lower numbers of nationals seeking asylum in the UK, with most travel being for study, work or family visits. Overall, nationals from these countries make up a small share of UK asylum applications compared with other nationalities.
For returns, case volumes vary with court decisions and the availability of flights. Scheduled commercial flights handle most removals, while the UK sometimes charters aircraft when numbers or security conditions require it. Cooperation on documentation directly affects whether people can board commercial services, which operate on fixed timetables and carry constraints on travel documents.
Legal safeguards and individual rights
UK authorities must apply immigration and asylum law on a case-by-case basis. People with ongoing claims or appeals cannot be removed. The UK also applies the principle of non-refoulement, which bars returns to a place where a person faces a real risk of serious harm. If a person secures leave to remain, refugee status or other lawful permission, they do not face removal and any planned enforcement action must stop.
Before removal, individuals can receive legal advice and may seek judicial review where permitted. The Home Office must consider fresh evidence if presented, including changes in personal circumstances or updated country information. Returns can proceed only after these processes conclude, and only when a receiving state confirms acceptance and issues necessary documents.
Administrative steps that can follow cooperation
When a country signals cooperation, officials usually set up working groups to process pending cases. These teams exchange case lists, schedule interviews, and agree on formats for emergency travel documents. They also establish points of contact to answer queries from caseworkers and consular staff. Such arrangements help reduce backlogs and allow airlines to receive timely documentation before departure.
The UK often uses liaison officers to manage this work. They coordinate between immigration teams, consulates and carriers, and they monitor compliance with airline requirements. Consistent procedures lower the number of cancelled removals and can shorten the period people spend in immigration detention. They also offer more certainty to those departing voluntarily, who can then plan travel and resettlement with clearer timelines.
Implications for travellers and visa applicants
The cooperation pledges relate to people who have no right to remain after due process. They do not change the rules for lawful travel, study, work or family visits. Visa applicants from the three countries will continue to submit biometric data, financial evidence and other documents required for their route. If cooperation improves, the UK can choose not to apply visa measures, or to remove any warning that had been issued.
Airlines, universities and employers may see fewer administrative delays when a country works with the UK on identity checks and documentation. Over time, smoother government-to-government procedures can make routine case handling more predictable. This does not alter the underlying visa requirements or checks on security, finances or intent to return.
What this means
The three governments’ decision to cooperate on returns gives UK caseworkers a clearer path to confirm identities and secure travel documents for people who have no right to remain. If operational teams exchange information faster and issue paperwork on time, the process will become easier.
When and where: The cooperation was confirmed on Friday, 6 February 2026.
