Downing Street unveils a new UK‑Vietnam agreement to fast‑track
deportation of Vietnamese migrants arriving irregularly, aiming to curb the
surge in small‑boat crossings.
The agreement is expected to reduce red tape and make it quicker and simpler to remove those who have no right to be in the UK, following a spike in illegal immigration from the south-east Asian nation last year via tiny boats and the back of lorries.
In the first three months of 2024, Vietnamese people made up the largest cohort of single small boat arrivals, and they were the fourth largest cohort for the entire previous year
According to data from April 2024, 20% of all small boat
arrivals were Vietnamese nationals, a ten-fold increase over the same period
the year before.
Additionally, according to Home Office data, 599 Vietnamese individuals, the second-highest foreign nationality after Eritreans, were sent to the national referral mechanism as possible victims of modern slavery between April and June of this year.
According to No. 10, the agreement is the "strongest" that Vietnam's government has reached with another nation on migration and may lead to the repatriation of four times as many Vietnamese nationals who have no legal basis to remain in Britain.
According to a Downing Street statement, it will cut through red tape and expedite the processing of migrant documents by 75% for cases with supporting evidence and eventually by nearly 90%.
The agreement states that new measures will speed up the issue of documents by using biometric data sharing in the identification process.
Keir Starmer signed the deal alongside To Lam, the general secretary of the Communist party of Vietnam, as he visited Downing Street on Wednesday evening.
As they sat in No 10’s White Room, the prime minister told the visiting leader:
“I’m really pleased we’re able to sign our migration agreement, which will build on the good cooperation that we have between our two countries now, will make it even faster, even more effective, and have a real impact on very many lives.”
Starmer said:
“This landmark agreement with Vietnam sends a clear message: if you come to the UK illegally, you will be swiftly returned.
We are cutting through red tape, accelerating removals and dismantling the criminal networks that profit from illegal migration. This deal delivers on our promise to protect our borders and cut down on migration.
The number of illegal arrivals from Vietnam has already been cut by half, but more can be done. Today’s agreement shows that through international cooperation – not shouting from the sidelines – we can deliver for the UK and for working people.”
How will the agreement affect Vietnamese asylum claim processing times?
The new UK-Vietnam agreement will significantly reduce the
processing times for Vietnamese citizens who arrive in the UK by irregular
means and don't have the right to stay. Specifically, the agreement aims to cut
down the time needed to reuse settlers' attestation by 75 originally, with a
long- term goal of reducing it by over to 90.
This substantial reduction comes from streamlining attestation, participating biometric data, and cutting through regulatory red tape recording, making the expatriation process briskly and more effective for those without legal grounds to remain.
For Vietnamese shelter claims, this likely means that individualities without valid protection claims will face expedited junking, sprucely syncopating the typical timeline that generally involves lengthy shelter operation assessments. Still, genuine shelter campaigners should still have access to the regular shelter process, though the agreement’s focus is on inhibiting.