The U.S. State Department plans to close nearly 30 embassies and consulates in Africa that process visas, based on a memo reviewed by the Associated Press on Monday. This decision aligns with previous actions by the Trump administration aimed at reducing immigration pathways, including travel bans affecting numerous African and Asian nations.
Diplomats informed the AP that visa services across Africa will be streamlined to 20 designated hubs. Although Newsweek received no direct confirmation from a State Department official, the department emphasized its ongoing evaluation of overseas operations, including maintaining strict security in visa screenings.
Reasons Behind the Closure
The State Department did not officially confirm details but mentioned the need for regular assessments of diplomatic operations. This includes ensuring that visa processes adhere to rigorous security standards.
Continued Visa Processing Locations
Visa services will continue in the following 20 hub cities:
- 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
- Yaounde, Cameroon
According to Newsweek’s comparison with Department of State information, the locations in orange on the map below will cease consular visa processing. The map identifies the nearest hub site for each affected country.
The implementation date remains unspecified, pending final authorization by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but is anticipated to occur this month. Under the new guidelines, U.S. visa applicants in countries lacking visa services will need to travel to a nearby hub for processing. Nonetheless, locations losing visa capabilities will still support American citizens with urgent assistance and provide diplomatic visa services.
This is a developing story. Further updates will be provided as they become available.
This article incorporates reporting by the AP.
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