UK and Vietnam sign deal to fast-track deportation of illegal migrants

LONDON — British and Vietnamese officials signed a new agreement on Thursday to accelerate the deportation of Vietnamese nationals who enter the United Kingdom illegally.

The deal follows a sharp increase in the number of Vietnamese migrants arriving in the U.K. via small boats and trucks. During the first three months of 2024, Vietnamese nationals represented the largest group of people crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Downing Street described the pact as the “strongest” migration agreement Vietnam has ever signed with another country. The measures aim to reduce bureaucratic hurdles, making it faster and easier to repatriate individuals who have no legal right to remain in Britain.

Under the new terms, the two nations will share biometric data and streamline the process for issuing travel documents. The agreement also calls for increased cooperation to dismantle criminal human-smuggling networks.

Officials said the agreement will reduce processing times by 75% for cases with existing evidence, with the potential to eventually reach a 90% reduction.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the deal with General Secretary To Lam at Downing Street. Starmer emphasized that those who arrive in the U.K. illegally will be "returned quickly."

The migration agreement reached between Keir Starmer’s administration and Hanoi represents a calculated exercise in political pragmatism, designed to secure distinct strategic objectives for both capitals. For London, the pact is a clear domestic victory. By securing what it describes as its "most robust" agreement to date, the Labour government is signaling a hardline stance on illegal immigration—a pivotal pledge to its electorate. The administration’s commitment to increasing processing efficiency, with targets moving from an initial 75% toward a 90% threshold, underscores a prioritisation of operational results over rhetoric.

For Vietnam, the commitment to expedited repatriations is a significant concession. The move suggests that Hanoi is leveraging migration cooperation to secure broader strategic gains, likely in the realms of trade, foreign direct investment, or diplomatic standing, as part of a broader effort to "deepen bilateral ties." The agreement to share biometric data—a high-level security commitment—indicates a deepening of institutional trust and a willingness by Hanoi to integrate into UK enforcement frameworks.

However, this diplomatic alignment comes amid persistent concerns regarding Vietnam’s human rights record. Reports from Human Rights Watch regarding political prisoners, alongside the recent case of a UK-based BBC journalist being barred from leaving the country, provide a stark contrast to the cooperative spirit of the deal. Ultimately, the pact suggests that Western governments, and the UK in particular, are increasingly prepared to prioritize border security and migration management over human rights advocacy when negotiating with Hanoi.

This agreement carries heavy implications for Vietnamese nationals attempting to reach the UK through irregular channels, sparking deep concern among families with loved ones in similar precarious positions. For the Vietnamese-American community, these developments underscore the stark contrast between the risky, unofficial routes and the legal immigration pathways—such as F2B family reunifications, H-1B professional visas, or EB-5 investments—that have long served as the bedrock of our diaspora. In the bustling hubs of Little Saigon and across our community, this news brings the painful issues of human trafficking and modern slavery back into focus. It is a sobering reality that hits close to home, especially as data continues to identify a significant number of Vietnamese migrants as victims of exploitation, far removed from the stable lives built here through phở restaurants, the nail salon industry, and the vital remittances sent back to support those at home.