Amid UK’s reluctance for asylum, has US revoked Sheikh Hasina’s visa?

While the United Kingdom is being hesitant about her asylum request, reports have surfaced of the United States “revoking” Bangladesh’s embattled leader Sheikh Hasina’s visa. The 76-year-old was forced to resign on Monday (August 5) as the prime minister and flee her country.

Hasina has sought refuge in India “for the moment” and sought asylum in the UK. However, her request has not been approved yet, as per reports.

Now, some reports say the US has revoked Hasina’s official visa.

What is going on? Let’s take a closer look.

Has the US cancelled Hasina’s visa?

The US has “revoked” the ousted Bangladesh prime minister Hasina’s visa, reported News18.

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Journalist David Bergman made a similar claim on X citing sources close to the US State Department. He said it was not clear whether Hasina had plans to travel to the US.

BREAKING: The United States government has revoked former #Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visa to the United States, sources close to the State Department have confirmed. Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh on Monday afternoon, and is currently in India deciding her next…

— David Bergman (@TheDavidBergman) August 6, 2024

The embattled leader’s son, Sajeeb Wazed “Joy”, lives in the US state of Virginia with his wife.

Hasina’s relations with the Joe Biden administration have been tense. The US criticised the January elections in Bangladesh that marked the return of the Awami League leader to power. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had boycotted the polls, accusing Hasina’s government of rigging the vote.

In May, Hasina had accused a “Western government” of trying to establish a military base in Bangladesh by force, without naming any country.

As per The Hindu report, it is not known whether Hasina had applied for a US visa after her ouster. However, officials said her present visa on her official passport would be “no longer valid” as she was no longer the PM.

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Why is the UK reluctant to grant her asylum?

The UK has been non-commital about accepting Hasina’s request for asylum. As per the UK’s immigration law, “there is no provision” for people outside the UK to apply for asylum or temporary refuge, The Hindu reported.

The UK government has not formally commented on whether Hasina has sought asylum.

On Monday (August 5), UK foreign secretary David Lammy issued a statement on the situation in Bangladesh. However, he made no comments on Hasina or her request.

“The last two weeks in Bangladesh have seen unprecedented levels of violence and tragic loss of life. A transitional period has been announced by the Chief of the Army Staff,” his statement said.

“All sides now need to work together to end the violence, restore calm, deescalate the situation and prevent any further loss of life. The people of Bangladesh deserve a full and independent UN-led investigation into the events of the past few weeks.”

“The UK wants to see action taken to ensure Bangladesh a peaceful and democratic future. The UK and Bangladesh have deep people-to-people links and shared Commonwealth values,” Lammy added.

Hasina’s asylum request to the UK comes as her sister Sheikh Rehana, who fled with the ousted Bangladesh PM, holds UK citizenship. Rehana’s daughter, Tulip Siddiq, is a minister in the current Labour government.

Hasina had formally sought permission to travel to the UK soon after landing near Delhi on Monday, hoping to travel to London on board the Bangladesh Air Force plane that brought her to India , reported The Hindu. However, the UK is yet to green-light her request.

The UK government sources told PTI that the country has a “proud record” of giving protection to people who need it, however, its immigration rules do not allow someone to “travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge”.

“Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach — that is the fastest route to safety,” a UK Home Office spokesperson told NDTV.

Sources say that, however, the formal asylum request is being processed.

Strategic experts believe it is not an easy decision for the UK, which had provided refuge to Hasina’s late father – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – in January 1972 after the country’s Liberation War.

“Sheikh Hasina’s desire to relocate to the UK, where her sister and niece live, puts the UK government in a dilemma. UK foreign secretary David Lammy has called for a UN-led investigation into the violence of the past few days. If this is held, it will likely hold Sheikh Hasina accountable to some degree and would look bad for the British government if she were then in the UK with the grant of ‘political asylum’,” Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, told PTI.

“But, at the same time, the UK’s long-standing links with Sheikh Hasina’s family makes it difficult to ignore her request. A possible solution would be to give Sheikh Hasina leave to enter the UK where she could live in ‘self-exile’. But, with Sheikh Hasina’s niece being a Labour MP and minister, the optics of this will be challenging,” he added.

As per The Hindu, officials said the UK is worried about the pressure from Hasina’s rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) loyalists in the country. There are also concerns that the former Bangladesh PM’s could be accused of human rights violations during her tenure.

If the UK declines her asylum request, India would unlikely be too keen to extend her stay. She might not want to dwell here either due to its closeness to her home country.

With inputs from agencies