Namibian asylum seekers plummet after new UK visa regime

This decision, made after months of consideration, aims to address the unsustainable surge in asylum applications from Namibians arriving in the UK.

"I understand the frustrations expressed immediately after the UK imposed the visa regime," Moore said. "For many months, we were clear about not imposing a visa regime. However, we finally imposed it due to an unsustainable and significant increase in the number of Namibians claiming asylum on arrival in the UK," the Namibian Sun reports.

Moore highlighted that in the years leading up to July 2023, over 1,000 Namibians claimed asylum upon arrival in the UK, the highest number from any country that did not require a visa at the time. Since the implementation of the visa regime, the number of asylum applications from Namibia has dropped to just five.

He added that many individuals were applying for asylum to exploit an 18-month grace period. "This is wrong. This increase happened over a year, and was getting worse and would have gotten [even] worse had we not implemented a visa regime," Moore stated.

The new visa regime has caused inconvenience for genuine Namibian visitors, including business people, officials, and tourists, who now face longer processing times and higher costs for visas. "It now takes 15 working days for a visa to be issued - something Namibians have not been used to for 34 years," Moore noted.

Moore also explained that the issue was not necessarily about overwhelming the country but about the negative economic impact on the UK, including the high costs associated with removing asylum seekers. "This situation strains our public finances. Protecting our borders is crucial, and just as the UK has the right to enforce its visa regimes, Namibia - as a sovereign country - also has the right to control its borders and determine who can enter the country," he said.