In a significant policy shift, the Namibian government announced it will end visa-free entry for citizens of Canada, the USA, the UK, and 21 European nations, along with several Asian countries that have not reciprocated Namibia’s visa exemption efforts. The new regulations are expected to take effect in April 2025, requiring visitors from these countries to obtain a visa prior to entry.
“Namibia has extended gestures of goodwill and favourable treatment to nationals of various countries. However, despite these efforts, certain nations have not reciprocated,” read a statement from Namibia’s immigration ministry in May. “In light of this disparity, the government has deemed it necessary to implement a visa requirement to ensure parity and fairness in diplomatic interactions,” the statement continued.
British High Commissioner to Namibia, Charles Moore, acknowledged Namibia’s right 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. That was impacting our relationship with Namibia,” he told the BBC.
A statement from the UK government elaborated, noting a sustained and significant increase in asylum applications from Namibians at the UK border since 2016. “This constitutes an abuse of the provision to visit the UK for a limited period as non-visa nationals,” it said.
Securing Western visas has become increasingly difficult for many Africans. The European Union, for instance, generated over €53 million ($58 million; £45 million) from rejected visa applications from African countries in 2023, according to a recent report by the Lago Collective, a think-tank focused on migration.
Visa rejections can occur for various reasons, with the report indicating that most are based on “reasonable doubt about the visa applicant’s intention to return home.”
The cost of obtaining visas has also been rising. In recent times, there has been an outcry on social media by many Africans on the massive rejection of visa applications even when requirements are being fully met without any form of refunds. In June 2024 alone, the price of Schengen short-term visas increased from €80 to €90 for adults, while in October 2023, the UK visa fee rose from £100 to £115.
