Vietnamese arrivals in UK by irregular means will be fast-tracked for deportation, says No 10

Vietnamese people who arrive in the UK by irregular means will be fast-tracked for deportation under a new agreement, Downing Street has said.

After a surge in clandestine arrivals from the south-east Asian country last year via small boats and in the back of lorries, the deal is supposed to cut red tape and make it faster and easier to return those with no right to be in the UK.

Vietnamese people were the largest single small boats arrivals cohort in the first three months of 2024, and the fourth largest across the whole of last year.

Statistics from April 2024 showed Vietnamese nationals made up 20% of all small boat arrivals, a 10-fold increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Home Office data also shows that 599 Vietnamese people were referred to the national referral mechanism as potential modern slavery victims between April and June this year – the second highest foreign nationality after Eritreans.

No 10 has claimed the deal is the “strongest” that Vietnam’s government has agreed with another country on migration, and could potentially result in four times as many Vietnamese nationals with no ground to stay in Britain being returned.

It will reduce the time for processing migrants’ documents by 75% for cases with supporting evidence – and eventually by almost 90% – by cutting through red tape, a statement from Downing Street said.

According to the agreement, new measures will include the use of biometric data sharing in the identification process, accelerating the issuance of documents, and a commitment to intensified cooperation to dismantle immigration crime networks.

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.”

Starmer was invited to visit Vietnam by Lam, who spoke via a translator, in order to “enrich the bilateral relationship between the two countries”.

In this government’s first year, 35,000 individuals with no legal right to remain were removed, including 5,200 foreign national offenders – a 14% increase compared to the previous year.

The BBC has raised concerns about one of its journalists, a Vietnamese national, who has been unable to leave the country for several months after travelling to the country to visit family and renew their passport.

Human Rights Watch has identified more than 170 political prisoners who are currently under arrest for practising their basic human rights, ranging from activists to online bloggers.