US Lawmakers Demand Explanation for Visa Denials to African Students

Blinken Under Fire for Disproportionate Visa Denials to African Students

“The student visa program benefits the national security of the United States. It supports US diplomacy by promoting people-to-people ties that...”

US lawmakers criticize Secretary of State Antony Blinken over disproportionate visa denials to African students, citing discriminatory practices and seeking explanation.

Three US lawmakers, Gwen Moore, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Sara Jacobs, have criticized the State Department, led by Anthony Blinken, for its handling of student visa applications. Specifically, they've taken issue with the department's rejection of a large number of applications from Nigerian, Ghanaian, and Kenyan students, while approving those from Asian students at a significantly higher rate.

The lawmakers expressed their concerns in a letter to Secretary Blinken on January 24, highlighting the stark disparity in study visa denial rates. African students faced a 54% rejection rate, compared to just 10% for European students and less than 35% for students from other regions. This significant difference has prompted the lawmakers to request a briefing to explain the reasoning behind these numbers.

US lawmakers are calling out the State Department for allegedly discriminating against African students seeking study visas. The lawmakers' concerns were validated by data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which revealed that a staggering seven out of 10 African students were denied study visas.

A closer look at the data shows that Nigerian students were disproportionately affected, with 69% denied study visas in 2022, increasing to 75% in 2023. Similarly, Ghana's refusal rate skyrocketed from 48% in 2018 to 61% in 2022 and 63% in 2023. These numbers raise serious concerns about the fairness and equity of the US study visa application process.

Kenyans faced a staggering 75% visa refusal rate in 2022, which slightly decreased to 74% in 2023. To put this into perspective, the visa denial rate for Kenyans was significantly lower in 2018, at 43%. This trend has raised concerns among lawmakers, who are questioning why African countries are experiencing higher visa refusal rates compared to Asian nations with similar economic profiles, such as Bangladesh, Honduras, and Kyrgyzstan.

“If the 2023 student visa refusal data above is compared to countries with very similar per capita gross domestic products, it becomes evident that countries in Africa such as Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria have substantially higher student visa refusal rates than similarly situated countries throughout the rest of the world such as Bangladesh, 63 per cent refusal rate in 2023, Honduras, 20 per cent refusal rate in 2023 and Kyrgyzstan, 52 per cent refusal rate in 2023,” the lawmakers stated in the letter.

The lawmakers pointed out to Blinken that these study programs are a vital asset to America's national security and diplomatic relationships with other countries. By welcoming international students, the US can foster stronger alliances, promote cultural understanding, and enhance its global influence.

“The student visa program benefits the national security of the United States. It supports US diplomacy by promoting people-to-people ties that create goodwill and mutual understanding,” the Congress members stated.

Three US lawmakers have strongly criticized Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stating that there's no justification for the disproportionate and discriminatory visa rejections faced by African students in recent years. They argued that these rejections are unfair and discriminatory, with African students facing significantly higher rejection rates compared to their Asian counterparts.

“It is critical that foreign students from Africa are treated similarly to foreign students from other parts of the world,” they wrote in the letter.

“There should be no reason that the State Department data should reflect such disparities among similarly situated countries.”

Rice University has corroborated the report, revealing that African students who had already received admission offers were disproportionately denied visas, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. This trend is in stark contrast to students from other continents, who faced fewer visa denials.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore expressed her pride in leading the effort, alongside other representatives, to highlight this disparity and demand an explanation from the State Department. Moore seeks to understand why African students, despite securing admission to US universities, were denied the opportunity to study in the country.

“As chair of the Congressional Caucus on Ghana, I was proud to lead co-chairs Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Sara Jacobs in this effort to address and shed light on this disparity,” Moore said.

“America's student visa admission rates must reflect that students from all parts of the world enrich our nation with their knowledge, talent, and skills. I look forward to receiving a response from State Department officials on this issue.”