U.S. CONSIDERS VISA BAN ON GHANA AND 24 OTHER AFRICAN NATIONS OVER IMMIGRATION CONCERNS
The U.S. government is reportedly considering imposing visa bans and additional travel restrictions on citizens of Ghana and 24 other African countries. This development follows last week’s travel limitations on seven African nations and signals a broader hardening of the Trump administration’s stance on immigration.
According to a report by The Washington Post, a memo signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was circulated to American diplomats in the affected countries on Saturday. The memo details concerns about immigration systems and security, placing 36 countries under review for possible sanctions 25 of which are African nations.
The African countries facing scrutiny include Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Non-African countries on the list include Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, Cambodia, Dominica, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Syria, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The memo cites several factors for the potential restrictions: failure to maintain effective identification systems, inadequate cooperation in identity verification, widespread fraud, high rates of visa overstays, and concerns about individuals engaging in anti-American or antisemitic activities.
It further criticizes countries that sell citizenship without requiring residency and urges governments to accept the return of deported third-country nationals or enter into “safe third country” agreements to mitigate risks.
Affected nations have been given a 60-day deadline to meet specified benchmarks aimed at addressing these concerns. Additionally, they must submit an initial action plan by 8 a.m. on Wednesday to avoid the imposition of visa bans.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
