UK visa ban for Indians? Britain rolls out Trump-style rules for countries blocking deportations

New Delhi: The United Kingdom has announced strict new immigration measures, including Trump-style visa bans on countries that refuse to accept the return of their deported citizens. India is among the nations identified as having low cooperation and could face similar restrictions over the next year, according to British media reports.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the UK would no longer grant visas to nationals of countries that fail to take back illegal immigrants and convicted criminals. Announcing the first set of bans targeting Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mahmood said foreign governments must accept the return of their own citizens or lose the "privilege" of entering Britain. The Home Office said these countries had repeatedly obstructed deportations by delaying paperwork and requiring individuals to sign documents, enabling them to block their own removal. It noted that thousands of illegal migrants and criminals from these nations were currently in the UK.

The British media has identified India as one of the countries most resistant to accepting deportees. In the year ending June 2025, 5,475 Indian nationals claimed asylum in the UK, making India the sixth-largest nationality of asylum applicants. Only 20 were granted asylum, while 2,691 claims were rejected. Of these applicants, 346 Indians entered illegally via small boats, while the majority arrived on legal visas, mainly student visas.

UK borders minister Alex Norris said the government was reviewing migration agreements with all countries and would escalate measures if cooperation remained inadequate. He said the new policy was designed to prevent the UK from becoming a "golden ticket" destination for migrants and would reduce the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels.

"We are looking at all of our agreements with every country, and if we do not think we're getting that right engagement, that right commitment, then of course we reserve all opportunities to escalate that," Norris told Times Radio on Monday.

The visa bans form part of a broader plan to overhaul Britain's asylum system. The Home Office is preparing to introduce measures inspired by both the Trump administration and Denmark's hardline immigration system. The reforms include tightening human rights laws often used to block deportations, particularly Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to family life. The government plans to narrow the definition of "family" to immediate relatives only.

Migrants will also be required to present all legal arguments within a single appeal, and those who lose will be removed swiftly. Officials also plan to roll out AI-based tools to verify the ages of asylum seekers suspected of lying about being minors.

Another controversial element of the reforms would require asylum seekers with high-value assets, such as cars or expensive gadgets, to contribute to the cost of their accommodation. Norris defended the idea by citing the case of a migrant who owned an Audi and received £800 per month from family members while living in taxpayer-funded housing.

The government also intends to establish capped work and study routes for genuine refugees referred by the UNHCR, while encouraging British households to host refugees to reduce the £2.1 billion annual cost of asylum hotels.