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Kigali’s U.S. Embassy Among Only 20 in Africa Authorized to Issue Visas
The United States (U.S.) Embassy in Kigali is among just 20 on the continent that will continue processing visas, as Washington prepares to drastically reduce its visa-issuing embassies across Africa, according to an Associated Press report citing government sources.
The internal administration document obtained by the AP, shows the U.S. embassies in the following 20 African cities will remain process visa applications:
- West Africa: Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Dakar (Senegal), Lomé (Togo), Monrovia (Liberia), and Praia (Cape Verde).
- Southern & Central Atlantic: Johannesburg (South Africa), Cape Town (South Africa), Kinshasa (DR Congo), Luanda (Angola), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), and Port Louis (Mauritius).
The directive, approved last week by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, states that visa operations will be reduced from 50 embassies in Africa, leaving only 20 to handle them, the AP reports.
A timeline for when these measures will take effect has not yet been announced.
Since his first term, President Donald Trump has prioritized immigration reforms regarding those traveling to and being received by the United States. During his first term, he notoriously referred to African nations and Haiti as "shithole countries."
This new decision reported by the AP implies that the number of people traveling from African nations to the U.S. could drop due to the increased difficulties in applying for visas.
The Trump administration has consistently stated its intent to crack down on individuals who travel to the U.S. on short-term visas but overstay.
