The United Kingdom and Vietnam have signed a major agreement aimed at curbing illegal migration, described by Britain as the strongest Hanoi has ever made with another country.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam formalised the deal in London, targeting a sharp acceleration of returns for Vietnamese nationals without legal right to be in the UK.

Vietnamese migrants accounted for 17 per cent of UK small-boat arrivals in the six months to June 2024, according to official data.

The deal will reduce processing times for removals by up to 75 per cent immediately, and potentially by nearly 90 per cent in some cases, through biometric data-sharing, improved documentation and joint efforts to dismantle people-smuggling networks.

“It sends a clear message: if you come to the UK illegally, you will be swiftly returned,” said Starmer, citing coordination and stronger returns as the core of the agreement.

The document also pledges to upgrade cooperation in economic, educational, science and energy sectors, underlining a broader strategic partnership.

Vietnam acknowledges that it will enhance law-enforcement collaboration, expedite travel-document issuance and promote legal migration pathways, while the UK will provide enhanced deterrence-messaging and intelligence-sharing.

Britain said the pact could ultimately allow up to four times more Vietnamese nationals with no right to remain to be returned than under previous arrangements.

With irregular migration remaining a major public and political concern in the UK and Vietnamese nationals forming a large share of arrivals by small boats, the agreement underscores a shift toward rapid bilateral enforcement.

The next steps involve implementation of joint working groups, monitoring of outcomes and further diplomatic engagement to ensure the return process functions effectively.