full list of countries that face uk visa ban if they don't take back migrants

Migrants in a dinghy sail in the Channel toward the south coast of England (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Three African countries could be blocked from accessing UK visas if they don’t cooperate on illegal migration,following a Trump-style threat from the Home Secretary.

It means tourists,VIPs and businesspeople from the countries would be blocked from travelling to the UK unless they agree to take back more migrants.

Shabana Mahmood was inspired by the US President’s hardline homeland security secretary Kristi Noem for the move,according to the Times.

The first three countries targeted by her threat are Angola,Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mahmood said: ‘In Britain,we play by the rules. When I said there would be penalties for countries that do not take back criminals and illegal immigrants,I meant it.

‘My message to foreign governments today is clear: accept the return of your citizens or lose the privilege of entering our country.’

Meanwhile,the removal of dangerous criminals is expected to fast-tracked,as will hearings for last-minute appeals against deportation.

And the Home Office has also announced plans to introduce an artificial intelligence system which can identify if asylum seekers are lying about being underage.

Beyond Trump’s US,Mahmood is said to have been inspired by the approach to illegal migration taken by the Danish government.

The Scandinavians have seen asylum claims fall to a 40-year low under their reformed system,which has deported 95% of those who do not meet stringent criteria.

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Hello,I’m Craig Munro and I’m Metro‘s man in Westminster.Every Wednesday,I write our Alright,Gov? newsletter with insights from behind the scenes in the Houses of Parliament – and how the decisions made there will end up affecting you.I have interviewed top political figures,including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Picture: Craig Munro)If you want to know more about the government and how new policies affect you,sign up now.However,the Home Secretary’s plans have been criticised by charities including Freedom from Torture and the Refugee Council,which estimated they would cost £872 million over 10 years.Enver Solomon,chief executive of the Council,said the moves would ‘unfairly prevent men,women and children from integrating into British life’ and had ‘echoes’ of the Windrush scandal.A protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in West Drayton (Picture: Jacqueline Lawrie/LNP)He continued: ‘People who have fled war and persecution will be left in intense anxiety and uncertainty for up to 20 years,which will be the toughest arrangement in Europe.‘A child who is settled at school,studying hard for their GCSEs,could be uprooted and forcibly removed,possibly being detained as part of that process.‘It will be hugely traumatic and harmful,preventing them from going on to university and becoming a doctor,lawyer or teacher,contributing to the UK as a proud Briton.’Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to drive down the number of people arriving in the UK illegally (Picture: Sky News/PA Wire)Criticism has also come from Labour backbenchers,including Folkestone and Hythe MP Tony Vaughan who said the proposals suggest the government has ‘taken the wrong turning’.Norris argued his colleagues to ‘look at [the measures] closely’ once they are published this afternoon,adding: ‘The system is not safe,the system is not controlled and it’s eroding public confidence.’In an article for the Guardian yesterday,Mahmood wrote: ‘I know that some of these measures will face opposition. But this is a moral mission for me.‘I know that a country without secure borders is a less safe country for those who look like me.’