UK visa ban threat: Namibia facing sanctions over migrant co-operation

The United Kingdom’s threat to stop granting visas to Namibians will not directly impact that country’s diplomatic relations, although the government has been advised to resolve the matter urgently.

This comes as United Kingdom (UK) home secretary Shabana Mahmood announced major plans to overhaul asylum policy.

Mahmood is set to announce that the UK will stop granting visas to people from Namibia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo if their governments do not rapidly improve co-operation on removals.

Ministry of International Relations and Trade executive director Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati yesterday said the ministry was aware of the situation and that they were drafting a formal response.

Career diplomat Tuliameni Kalomoh says the UK’s threat to stop issuing travel visas to Namibians is expected to have minimal impact on bilateral relations.

The threat requires Namibia to cooperate within one month to accept the return of ‘illegal immigrants’.

The diplomat says it also does not undermine or diminish the countries’ sovereignty.

Kalomoh says the UK’s threat is not a reflection of the character and behaviour of Namibians abroad but a reflection of the economic and political crises faced by the Labour Party-led UK government.

“We don’t have to be unduly worried. These European governments are going through severe economic challenges and they think that immigrants are responsible for their crises and that is not true. In fact, we have few Namibians in the UK, and few European tourists visiting Namibia, therefore, the impact will be minimal on their bilateral relations,” says Kalomoh.

The diplomat says former colonial powers face a paradox: they request skilled Africans to build their economies and unskilled Africans as manual labourers for jobs their own nationals refuse, while facing domestic pressure against immigrants.

Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongo yesterday described the restrictions as unfortunate and urged the Namibian government to engage with the UK.

“Some things are beyond our control. Namibia is respected internationally, and it is unfortunate that the UK has chosen to impose restrictions. I would propose that our leadership engage directly with their counterparts or advise Namibians abroad on proper conduct,” he said.

Nekongo said in his observation, Namibians are generally well-behaved in other countries

“The question for the UK is how they intend to handle cases where Namibians may have violated their rules,” he said.

Landless People’s Movement human rights desk head Joyce Muzengua yesterday said the move is not surprising.

“Namibia’s geopolitical position does not hold much value for the UK. The West is clearly shifting to the right, so these types of measures are to be expected.

“The problem is that our government approaches such matters reluctantly. It needs to examine why so many young Namibians are moving to the UK. Another concern is our diplomatic relations with the UK. The government has failed to act decisively, and this ultimatum reflects that,” she said. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reports that the changes are aimed at making the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migrants, leading to reduced small boat crossings and asylum claims. A home office source says the countries are being targeted for “their unacceptably low co-operation and obstructive returns processes”.

The changes will require asylum seekers to wait 20 years before applying for permanent settlement. They will also mandate regular review of refugee status for those granted asylum while individuals whose home countries are deemed safe will then be told to return.

The Times first reported that the threat of a visa ban for the three nations follows reports that thousands of illegal migrants and criminals from those countries are in the UK.

Many specific details and practicalities of the sweeping changes to asylum policy remain unclear, and were due to be set out by Mahmood yesterday.

The home secretary said her plans also aim to address “unfair” conditions that she said gave some asylum seekers better provisions than UK citizens.

She said: “I know illegal migration is causing huge divides here in our own country, and I do believe we need to act if we are to retain public consent for having an asylum system at all.”

Currently refugee status lasts for five years, after which people can apply for settled status. Mahmood wants to lengthen this to 20 years. The new measures will see refugee statuses reviewed every two-and-a-half years.

Mahmood told the BBC that asylum seekers who use “safe and legal routes”, find work and contribute to society may be able to apply to settle permanently earlier, though she did not give specific details.

– Additional reporting by BBC

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