Visas denied to LA visitors

The United States embassy in Pretoria has insisted there has been no change in the US visa policy for South Africans.

But no visas were issued to at least 60 African participants – including South Africans – in the African and Global Economic and Development Summit held in Los Angeles, California, from March 16 to 18.

Embassy spokesperson Cindy Harvey would not comment on individual visa cases.

“We are aware of reports regarding the issuing of US visas for African citizens seeking to travel to a recent economic trade conference in California,” she said.

“There has been no change in US visa policy beyond what is proposed in the Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States, issued on March 6, 2017.”

US President Donald Trump has come under fire for his order which prevents refugees and immigrants from Muslim majority countries to enter the US.

But summit organiser Mary Flowers said every single African citizen who applied for a visa to attend the conference was vetoed.

“I don’t know if it’s Trump or if it’s the fact that the embassies that have been discriminating for a long time see this as an opportunity – because of talk of the travel ban – blatantly reject everyone,” she said.

“This conference puts Americans in touch with real people so they can do real business. These trade links create jobs for both America and Africa. It’s unbelievable what’s going on.”

Political analyst Daniel Silke said Africa was “working through unchartered waters in terms of how the Trump administration really sees its relationship with Africa”.

“It’s not high on the Trump agenda. Africa might well be on the back burner of the Trump administration.

“Whoever wants to go the US goes through a visa vetting procedure. It’s possible that in some parts of the world this vetting procedure might have been tightened,” said Silke.

“It’s possible that we might see a tightening up of the visa regime across the world – not just from Middle Eastern countries, but also from countries that are deemed to be less favourably inclined towards the US.”

Africa might well be on the back burner of the Trump administration. Daniel Silke Political analyst