US plans to cut Africa visa-processing embassies to 20, says report

US plans to cut Africa visa-processing embassies to 20, says report

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The United States State Department is planning to reduce the number of US embassies and consulates in Africa that process visas, cutting the current network of almost 50 locations down to 20 hubs, according to three US officials and an internal memo cited by The Associated Press.

The report said there was no confirmed date for the change, but it is expected to take effect in June. The officials quoted were not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the Associated Press report, the move is part of the Trump administration’s wider push to restrict both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, alongside other measures aimed at limiting immigration and addressing visa overstays. The administration has also scaled back staffing at embassies and consulates worldwide, the report said.

One official cited in the report said US diplomats, including consular chiefs, were told during a conference call last Friday that visa services across Africa would be scaled back.

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The Associated Press report said visa processing in Africa has already faced disruptions in recent years, including travel bans affecting certain countries, a requirement for some applicants to post a bond of up to US$15,000, and restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak.

Under the reported changes, applicants from countries that are not designated hubs would have to travel to one of the 20 approved processing sites, potentially increasing costs and making applications more difficult for some travellers.

The report added that consular sections in non-hub countries would remain open, but would be limited in services, including assisting US citizens with passport renewals and emergency requests, as well as handling special national interest cases and diplomatic visa applications.

In response, the State Department did not address the memo’s specifics, but told the Associated Press it was “constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible”. It said this included “a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests”.

The Associated Press listed the reported 20 visa-processing hubs as: 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), Lomé (Togo), Luanda (Angola), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Monrovia (Liberia), Nairobi (Kenya), Port Louis (Mauritius), Praia (Cape Verde) and Yaoundé (Cameroon).

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