The United States Department of State has announced plans to significantly reduce the number of embassies and consulates across Africa that process visa applications, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP).
AP reported on Monday, citing officials and an internal memo, that the number of US diplomatic missions handling visa applications on the continent will be reduced from nearly 50 to 20 in the coming weeks.
According to one of the officials quoted by AP, the decision was disclosed to US diplomats, including consular chiefs, during a conference call held last Friday.
The directive was approved last week by Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, according to the officials and the internal memo.
The 20 designated processing hubs are located in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Dar-Es-Salaam (Tanzania), Djibouti (Djibouti), 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).
Although an exact implementation date has not been confirmed, the changes are expected to take effect this month.
The development comes six months after the administration of Donald Trump recalled ambassadors from more than two dozen countries, including Nigeria, with Africa being the most affected region.
The move also aligns with ongoing efforts by the US government to tighten immigration controls.
Some African nationals, including Nigerians, already face the possibility of paying visa bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for B1/B2 visas.
In addition, African countries account for the largest number of nations currently affected by partial US travel restrictions.
The reduction in visa-processing locations is expected to create challenges for applicants in affected countries, many of whom may have to travel to one of the 20 approved centres, potentially increasing travel costs and logistical difficulties.
Despite the changes, consular sections in countries that are not designated hubs will remain operational. However, their services will be limited.
According to the AP report, these missions will continue to provide assistance to American citizens, including passport renewals, emergency consular services, special national interest cases, and diplomatic visa applications.