A directive signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio will force millions of Africans to travel across borders just to apply for a US visa — part of the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on immigration.
IDEA Television News Desk
The United States is preparing to drastically reduce the number of embassies and consulates across Africa that can process visa applications — slashing nearly 50 locations down to just 20 designated hubs. The move, confirmed by three US officials, is expected to take effect within weeks, though no exact date has been set. It marks one of the most significant rollbacks of US consular services on the African continent in recent history.
The directive was approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and communicated to US diplomats — including consular chiefs — during a conference call last Friday. It forms part of the Trump administration’s wider push to restrict both immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuance, and to target travellers who overstay temporary visas. Embassy staffing across the continent has already been cut as part of the same broader effort.
For citizens of countries not designated as hubs, the consequences are immediate and practical: they will now have to travel to one of the 20 approved sites to attend visa interviews and submit applications. That could mean crossing multiple borders and covering hundreds of miles at significant personal expense. A citizen of Mali, for instance, may need to travel to Dakar in Senegal; someone from Burundi may be redirected to Kigali in Rwanda — a burden that will fall hardest on those with fewer resources.
“This includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and aligns resources with America’s national interests.”
— US State Department statement
Consular sections in non-hub countries will not close entirely — they will continue to handle passport renewals, emergency services for US citizens, diplomatic visa applications, and special national interest cases. However, ordinary visa applicants will have no access to services at those locations. The State Department, declining to confirm specific details in the leaked memo, stated only that it “constantly evaluates overseas operations to deploy taxpayer resources efficiently.”
The cuts compound a series of existing obstacles already making US visas harder to obtain across Africa. A $15,000 bond requirement is already in place for applicants from certain countries. A partial travel ban targets 15 African nations. And Ebola-related restrictions have further disrupted movement in parts of the continent. Critics argue the cumulative effect amounts to a near-total wall against legal African migration to the United States.
The 20 approved visa processing hubs
