Migration Minister addresses Consular Conference

Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp MP

Reform of the UK immigration system was top of the agenda at the 2025 Embassy Consular Conference

The 2025 Embassy Consular Conference was attended by consuls from across the United Kingdom eager to hear from the Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp MP about major changes to UK immigration system.

Explaining the thinking behind the Immigration White Paper making its way through Parliament, the Minister said the main purpose of the reforms was to restore control of the immigration system:

“This is not simply about reducing numbers, for their own sake. It’s about ensuring the system works in the national interest, balancing contribution, control and compassion; making it firm but also fair. And that’s at the root of everything I do.”

Expanding on key features of the Bill, he said the proposed legislation aimed to:

Bring net migration down across all major routes
Prioritise and encourage high-skilled migration that supports innovation and growth
End long-term dependence on low-wage migration, particularly in social care, by requiring workforce planning and career progression in the UK;
Align immigration policy with UK labour market and industrial strategies, and
Support stronger integration and community cohesion.

Rosa Schofield (IFLG) and Louise Daynes from Border Force take questions from the consuls

This year’s agenda also included a session on Children at Risk Crossing Borders. Rosa Schofield of the International Family Law Group offered a legal perspective on issues affecting children of mixed nationality families, and practical advice for consuls families in cases of parental child abduction.

Louise Daynes of the Safeguarding and Modern Slavery (SAMS) Team at Border Force gave an insightful presentation on the work of Border Force to protect vulnerable children at the border, who are potentially victims of modern slavery, harmful practices or sexual abuse.

Consuls also learned about a pro-forma initiative that Border Force has developed in collaboration with the Romanian Consulate to alert consulates of vulnerable persons intercepted at the border in order that support can be put in place and further investigation undertaken. Since its launch a further seven countries are part of the initiative which has safeguarded vulnerable children and led to arrests of criminals engaged in people trafficking.

Ms Daynes stressed the importance of consulates as valued stakeholders for Border Force and urged consulates to join the pro-forma initiative and to engage with Border Force on any matters of concern.

Charles Akoshile explains support for returning FNOs under Home Office Returns and Re-integration Programmes (HORRP)

Foreign National Offenders
The topical issue of foreign national offender (FNO) management was also on the agenda.

Adrian Chen, head of cross-border transfer at HMPPS, covered Foreign National Offender Management, specifically mechanisms to remove FNOs before the end of their prison sentence. The presentation touched briefly on Early Removal Scheme (ERS), Tariff Expired Removal Scheme, but focused on Prisoner Transfer Agreements, including eligibility, processes, and the advantages of prisoners serving their sentence in their home countries.

The second presentation from Chaz Akoshile, Head of Reintegration Programming, International Returns Services Command at the Home Office, discussed the Home Office Returns and Re-integration Programmes (HORRP). The programmes support both voluntary returns from the community and enforced returns. Enforced returns include Foreign National Offenders, who receive deportation orders, as well as administrative removal orders which apply to Failed Asylum Seekers and Irregular Migrants. The presentation focused on FNOs and covered the objectives of the scheme, as well as the type and level of support offered.

The presentation touched on other schemes, complementing HORRP, including Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) and Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS).

Joumana Nigmeldeen of the Egyptian Consulate receives the Consul of the Year Award 2025 from Embassy Group Director Elizabeth Stewart

Consul of the Year
The conference concluded with the Consul of the Year Awards to pay tribute to exceptional consuls who have delivered outstanding services to their citizens.

Joumana Nigmeldeen of the Egyptian Embassy, Consul of the Year for the Middle East, who was chosen by her peers as Consul of the Year 2025.

Accepting the Award, Ms Nigmeldeen thanked her colleagues at the Egyptian consulate and the consular community in the UK, as well as her Foreign Minister, HE Mr Badr Abdelatty, for offering her the opportunity to serve in London.

Addressing her consular colleagues, she said: “During my time serving our community, I have learned that diplomacy is not only about representing one’s nation – it is about building bridges, fostering understanding, and standing together in times of need.

Referring to Egypt’s key role in providing safe refuge to those fleeing conflict in the region, she added: “When we speak about ‘standing together in need’ I can’t think of a better example than Egypt. My country Egypt has been in the heart of many regional conflicts, yet stayed the safest and most insisting on peace and dialogue, while Egypt has proudly hosted and still hosts millions of our neighbours affected by conflicts and war.”

Speaking about the importance of consular work in serving citizens, she said: “It was always with a great sense of achievement and satisfaction whenever I was able to support a family reunion, or contribute to support international students in the UK or support in children and families’ safety and mostly whenever I was presenting special services for citizens with disabilities, including home visits to facilitate essential procedures for those unable to travel.”

Consuls of the Year 2025 (from left): Joumana Nigmeldeen (Egyptian Consulate), Consul of the Year 2025 and Consul of the Year for Middle East; Nicolas Correa Cruz (Colombian Consulate), Consul of the Year for The Americas; Mohamed Osama Ibrahim Mohamed (Embassy of Sudan), Consul of the Year for Africa; Embassy Group Director Elizabeth Stewart; Iva Gudelj (Embassy of Croatia), Consul or the Year for Europe; and Sasha Wedderburn, accepting on behalf of Julika Thompson (Bahamas High Commission), Consul of the Year for The Caribbean

Recognising consular excellence
Also deserving of recognition were the regional consuls of the year:

Mohamed Osama Ibrahim Mohamed, Embassy of Sudan (Consul of the Year for Africa), particularly for his work supporting Sudanese citizens affected by the conflict and assisting UK-based media and aid agencies to access conflict zones in Sudan;
Nicolas Correa Cruz, Embassy of Colombia (Consul of the Year for the Americas) for his ground-breaking work on mental health and support of domestic abuse victims;
Julika Thompson, High Commission of The Bahamas (Consul of the Year for the Caribbean) for the wide range of support, including consular, legal and maritime for Bahamians in a wide range of countries;
Iva Gudelj, Embassy of Croatia (Consul of the Year for Europe), for her professionalism and dedicated support of Croatian citizens in the UK and beyond, as well as her service to the wider consular community on the Consular Corps of London committee.

Thank you to Rowland Brothers International, the main sponsor for the Consular Conference 2025, whose invaluable support made the Consular Conference 2025 possible.