Washington Excludes African Arab Countries from New Visa Processing Centers

Media sources have revealed a new direction for the administration of US President Donald Trump, aiming to radically restructure consular work in the African continent. The plan includes reducing the number of embassies and consulates authorized to process visa applications from about 50 diplomatic missions to only 20 regional centers, a step that reflects Washington's desire to concentrate its consular operations.

A leaked internal memo from the US State Department showed that the new list of approved centers almost completely excluded Arab countries located in the north and east of the African continent. The exclusion included Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and Mauritania, placing these countries outside the map of expanded US consular services in the region.

In contrast, Djibouti emerged as the sole exception among African Arab countries, where it was decided to grant it a fully empowered center for processing all types of visa applications. This decision comes within the context of the current US administration's efforts to tighten immigration policies and limit the issuance of visas for both immigrants and non-immigrants.

Under these structural changes, citizens of the excluded Arab countries will face significant logistical and financial challenges when wishing to obtain a US entry visa. They will have to travel to other countries to conduct personal interviews and complete the required procedures, which adds travel and accommodation burdens that did not exist previously.

Although the consular sections in the excluded countries will continue their work, their tasks will be limited to a very narrow scope, including caring for the affairs of American citizens residing there and dealing with emergency cases only. However, the processing of most routine visa applications will be entirely transferred to the regional centers identified by the new plan in other African countries.

The list of selected regional centers includes cities in countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Angola, and South Africa. These choices reflect Washington's desire to distribute its consular centers based on regional and security considerations that align with the new US administration's vision for managing immigration and border issues.

Although no official announcement has been issued by the US State Department regarding the exact date of implementation, reports indicate that the decision may come into effect within the next few weeks. Diplomatic circles are monitoring potential reactions from the Arab countries affected by this decision, which may impact the pace of cultural and economic exchange with Washington.

The new plan will impose additional financial and logistical burdens on applicants from the excluded African Arab countries, as they will have to travel to other countries to complete their procedures.