Washington plans to slash the number of embassies and consulates in Africa authorized to process visas from nearly 50 to just 20 “hubs” later this month, according to the Associated Press, further restricting entry to the US for African citizens.
The cutbacks follow a directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and will require citizens of countries without a hub to travel to an approved site to apply — a potentially prohibitive logistical and financial burden. Non-hub embassies and consulates will remain open for American citizen services and diplomatic visas. The 20 hubs include Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kinshasa, Lagos, Luanda, Nairobi, and Yaoundé.
Visa processing in Africa has already been curtailed under the Trump administration with a travel ban on certain countries, a requirement for some applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000, and disruptions caused by the ongoing Ebola outbreak.