Reform UK has announced its intention to cease granting visas to individuals from nations that continue to seek reparations from the United Kingdom regarding its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
Zia Yusuf, the party’s spokesperson for home affairs, expressed to the Daily Telegraph that the push for reparations is “insulting.” He indicated that over the past twenty years, approximately 3.8 million visas have been issued to residents of countries advocating for compensation.
For four centuries, seven European countries, including the UK, were responsible for the enslavement and transportation of over 15 million Africans across the Atlantic. Scholars have drawn connections between the profits generated from this enslavement and the subsequent industrial growth in Western nations.
Recently, the United Nations passed a resolution categorizing the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity,” advocating for reparations as a significant step towards addressing historical injustices. This resolution received support from the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and was introduced by Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, who emphasized the importance of acknowledging the suffering endured by millions.
The UK and various EU member states abstained from voting on the resolution, while the United States opposed it. Importantly, the resolution is non-binding.
Yusuf commented to the Daily Telegraph that an increasing number of nations are pressing for reparations from Britain, overlooking the significant efforts made by the UK to be the first major nation to abolish slavery and enforce its prohibition. He asserted that the “bank is closed and the door is locked” for those who wish to leverage historical grievances to exploit the UK’s finances.
“The United Kingdom is not a financial resource for historical ethnic grievances, and we will not accept being mocked on the international stage,” he stated. “As countries such as Jamaica, Nigeria, and Ghana escalate their reparations claims, the establishment in Westminster has continued to accommodate them. This has to stop.”
In prior statements, Reform UK has committed to eliminating international aid for nations pursuing reparations. A 2023 report by Patrick Robinson, a former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), concluded that the UK alone should pay $24 trillion (£18.8 trillion) in reparations for the transatlantic slave trade across 14 countries.
