Namibia issues new visas requirements

Namibia has turned the tables on Western countries which have strict visa requirements for Namibians, with a new rule requiring nationals from Canada, Germany, the US, the UK and 29 other countries, to have a visa for entry into the country. BBC News reports that these include all ‘non-reciprocating countries’, meaning the new visa rules will affect citizens from all countries that require Namibian passport holders to have visas. ‘Namibia has extended gestures of goodwill and favourable treatment to nationals of various countries. However, despite these efforts, certain nations have not reciprocated,’ Namibia’s Immigration Ministry said. ‘In light of this disparity, the government has deemed it necessary to implement a visa requirement to ensure parity and fairness in diplomatic interactions.’ But these visitors will be able to buy their 90-day visa, costing $90, on arrival in Namibia, unlike the onerous requirements placed on African passport holders who need to get their visas beforehand. The British High Commissioner to Namibia, Charles Moore, said he respected the right of Namibia to impose new regulations. ‘(The UK) unfortunately imposed a visa regime on Namibia last year due to the number of asylum seekers we were receiving,’ he said.

And visas for the Schengen area, the US and Canada do not come cheap for African passport holders. The European Union made more than $58m on rejected visa applications from African countries in 2023, according to a recent report by the Lago Collective, a think-tank that focuses on migration. The report says most rejections are based on ‘reasonable doubt about the visa applicant’s intention to return home’. The BBC News report says in June 2024, the price of Schengen short-term visas went up from €80 to €90 for adults, and in October 2023, the UK visa fee rose from £100 to £115. The report also showed that nearly a third of Africans applying for a visa to the Schengen area were rejected, higher than the global average.