The U.S. Department of State is preparing to drastically reduce the number of African embassies that will be able to process visas for migrants looking to enter the U.S.A., according to reports.
Currently there are 50 U.S. embassies and consulates across Africa that have the capability to process visa applications and vet applicants, but the Associated Press reports that the Trump administration intends to slash that down to only 20 that will be permitted to process applications from Africans who wish to migrate to or visit the U.S.
The move would be part of the administration’s efforts to tighten visas and lower the number of migrants permitted to enter the U.S.
The news was delivered during a conference call with Africa-based U.S. diplomats and their staffers, the AP adds.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio presaged the cut in a directive approved last week that noted the U.S. will winnow visa application centers down to about 20 “hubs” across Africa.
Visas from Africa have faced pressure in other areas, as well. The Trump administration added several regions to the list of blocks for awarding visas, and hiked the costs to a $15,000 bond for filing, not to mention restrictions placed on areas affected by the ongoing Ebola plague.
The State Department does not seem to be preparing to close the other 30 consulates, but the services they can offer to migrants and visitors will be limited.
The Department also noted that it continues to reevaluate policies “in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible” and to make sure the visa process “maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests.”
The 20 embassies and consulates where visa applications will continue to be processed include: 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.
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