Diplomats have been told consular processing will be reduced to 20 countries across Africa, AP reports

The US is preparing to drastically scale back visa services across Africa, reducing the number of diplomatic missions authorized to process applications from nearly 50 to just 20, the Associated Press reported on Monday, citing the State Department.

According to the report, US diplomats and consular officials were informed last week that visa operations would be consolidated into a limited number of regional hubs as part of a broader restructuring of consular services on the continent.

While non-hub embassies and consulates will remain open, they will reportedly focus on services for US citizens, emergency consular assistance, diplomatic visas, and select cases deemed to be in the national interest.

Responding to the planned overhaul, the State Department told AP it regularly reviews overseas operations to ensure resources are aligned with US priorities and national interests.

The 20 remaining visa hubs will include diplomatic missions in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Angola, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, DR Congo, Togo, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritius, and Cape Verde, according to AP.

The move is part of the Trump administration's wider effort to tighten immigration controls. Citizens of 11 African countries already face a complete suspension of both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, effectively barring general entry into the US.

In March, Somali immigrants and advocacy groups sued the Trump administration over its decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in January that conditions in the country had improved sufficiently to terminate the designation, which had been in place since 1991 due to the conflict involving the Al-Shabaab militant group. TPS allows eligible foreign nationals to temporarily live and work in the US if they are unable to return safely to their home countries.

READ MORE: US blocks travelers from Ebola outbreak zones

Last month, Washington imposed emergency entry restrictions on foreign nationals who had recently visited the DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan following an Ebola outbreak. US citizens returning from those countries were required to enter through Washington Dulles International Airport.

(RT.com)