Visas – A Gateway or a Barrier? African Global Mobility in Perspective

Written by Vezi Makasi, General Course

African states and the US historically have had an unbalanced relationship. From the Transatlantic Slave Trade to the extraction of critical minerals, Africa has long been a stage of exploitation at the hands from the US, amongst other global superpowers. These long running systems of exploitation have contributed to the prevalence of institutional and economic weakness across the African continent. Whilst these inequalities can be seen on the political and economic basis through factors such as GDP and the prevalence of armed conflict, there is another method to view the inequality between Africa and the US: visas. As of this year, The US has imposed added visa costs for all entrants, however, passport holders from Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania and Zambia face additional visa costs through the Visa Bond Pilot Programme. This article examines the systemic factors that govern passport strength, and how added visa costs perpetuate the inequality between Africa and the U.S.  

Passports are symbols of nationality that reflect modern geopolitical and economic trends. A passport can serve as a means of economic inclusion, diplomacy and even safety ①. Thus, the weakness of one’s passport can act as a barrier from engaging in these activities. Research by the Henley Index ② suggests that average income (GDP per capita) and political stability are significant predictors of passport power.  Income affects passport power by affecting the willingness of countries to open their borders to foreign citizens based on who is more “likely to pay economic dividends in the form of trade, tourism and investment.” Through this lens, passport power is correlated to wealth and the ability of a state to provide another with economic benefit. Furthermore, citizens from politically unstable and fragile states are considered high risk for security, asylum and overstay. Thus, one’s citizenship and nationality can act as a barrier from engaging in economic activity and even seeking safety.  

Africa’s lack of political and economic stability stems from a range of factors, one of the most notable being the Proxy Wars that took place in the Cold War.  Through the US and Soviet Union’s use and funding of different political actors and governments, internal friction occurred in newly minted and fragile African democracies.  The Brookings Institute ③ notes that the Cold War led to “the destruction of economic and physical infrastructure required for productivity growth and export diversification, the political fragmentation… sustained market segmentation, hardening colonial borders and undermining cross-border trade and regional integration.” Thus, the Cold War between the US and the USSR undermined Africa’s stability through the propagation of war and destruction, making it difficult for African states to build the foundations necessary for long-term political and economic stability. This externally imposed instability is one perspective of how Africa’s global position has been shaped less by internal merit and more through historical events and circumstances out of its control. This historical foreign influence continues to manifest itself today in contemporary inequalities, such as weak passport power and therefore inequality in global access for citizens.  

African passport holders disproportionately experience global mobility restrictions. Applying for a visa is a strenuous process. Travellers must prepare well in advance for their applications by collecting documents such as proof of accommodation, proof of return flight, and proof of funds. This must all be done before travelling to the nearest embassy or consulate general, which may not even be in the applicant’s country.  Whilst these are requirements for all visa applicants, African travellers are disproportionately affected.  In 2022, 1 in 3 visa applications ④ from the continent were rejected, making Africa the largest region of passport rejection regardless of it having the lowest number of applications per capita. Additionally, of the 12 countries affected by President Trump’s ban, 7 were African states, with proposals of extending the list by 36 countries, where 24 would be African states.  This disproportionate targeting underscores how African states continue to be constructed as sites of instability in the eyes of global superpowers. Consequently, theincreased probability of visa rejections, the threat of increased travel bans, and the imposition of new visa costs disproportionately affect African passport holders in comparison to passport holders from the Global South.  

With more than 35 armed conflicts happening in Africa it is important to consider the implications for those seeking refugee status and asylum. The increased difficulties in visitor and business visas, both of which are non-immigrant visas, are an indicator of increased immigration difficulty across the whole visa process. I think that it would be fair to make the case that the process for acquiring refugee or asylum status is set to also become more difficult as an extrapolation of the fact that developed countries are trying to decrease the number of tourists from African countries — people who do not even intend to remain in the destination country. Furthermore, the increase of anti-migration sentiment across the world, namely the US, the UK and Germany, provide evidence for this assumption.  

Global mobility refers to more than just the movement of workers across international borders. It encompasses permanent relocation, long-term assignments, business travel, refuge seeking, tourism. Global mobility is simply being able to move globally. This draws important questions: Who gets to engage in international travel? Who gets to enjoy the economic benefits of globalisation? Who can exercise the UN Right of Freedom of Movement? The new visa costs impact African passport holder’s global mobility and perpetuate global mobility inequality which is within itself a perpetuation of global inequality- especially in the context of Africa and US.  

Sources

① Louise Neal ,« The Power of Passports: A Comparative Analysis of Migration Regulations », Forum for Expatriate Management, 3 November 2023.

② Omer Zapli and Ugur Altundal, Henley Global Mobility Report 2022 Q1, Henley & Partners, 2022.

③ Hippolyte Fofack,« Africa and the new Cold War: Africa’s development depends on regional ownership of its security », The Brookings Institution , 19 May 2022.

④ Thembisa Fakude,« Time to talk about weaponising visas against Africans  », AFRASID, 9 June 2025.