The US state department has unveiled plans to reduce the
number of embassies in Africa that handle visa processing for foreign
travellers, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Citing officials and an internal memo, AP reported on Monday
that the nearly 50 US embassies and consulates currently processing visa
applications across Africa would be reduced to 20 in the coming weeks.
The decision was communicated to US diplomats, including
consular chiefs, during a conference call last Friday, AP quoted one of the
officials who was on the call as saying.
Marco Rubio, secretary of state, approved the directive last
week, according to the officials and the memo.
According to the memo, the 20 hubs to remain open for all
processing are: Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape
Town, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti,
Djibouti; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda;
Kinshasa, Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Lome, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape
Verde; and Yaounde, Cameroon.
The timing remains unconfirmed, but the changes are expected
to take effect in June.
The move comes six months after the Donald Trump
administration recalled ambassadors in over two dozen countries, including
Nigeria. Africa was the most impacted continent.
The reduction in consular services also comes as the US
continues to restrict immigration flows into the country.
A handful of African nationals, including Nigerians, already
face possibility of paying bonds of up to $15,000 as a requirement for B1/B2
visas applications.
African countries also make up the largest share of
countries currently under US partial travel suspensions.
The US scaling back visa processing services at several of
its embassies in Africa could affect applicants across the affected countries
as they will have to travel to one of the 20 approved sites, which may pose
significant travel challenges and costs.
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