Maziko Matemba, wey be community healthcare activist from Blantyre for Malawi, don waka go US seven times for di past ten years. All di waka na for work mata, and e never overstay e visa one day.
But now, under di new US immigration law wey dem say na to stop people from overstay dia visa, Matemba next trip fit cost am extra $15,000 before e even enter plane. Dis money big pass wetin many people for Malawi fit make for years, as di country get over 21 million people.
For outside Malawi immigration office for Blantyre, many people wey wan apply for passport to travel go US don dey shock as di visa bond policy don make di already expensive waka even harder for people to afford.
Di US State Department don announce say di new rule go start on August 20, and e go affect people wey dey travel with Malawi or Zambia passport. Di rule talk say anybody wey dem approve for B1/B2 visa go need pay bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, depending on di visa interview.
People wey dey travel plenty from Malawi and Zambia, no just to US, dey vex say di US dey assume say everybody from dia country fit overstay dia visa. Dem feel say e no make sense to dey treat everybody like potential lawbreaker.
Matemba talk say, "$15,000 na big money, even for government to spend for person wey dey go US as representative. Many official waka dey wey need Malawian government people, like di UN General Assembly." Di new policy don turn di $185 visa fee to wetin many people no fit afford.
Return ticket from Blantyre Chileka International Airport to JFK Airport for New York dey cost around $2,000 now, and di price dey similar for Kenneth Kaunda International Airport for Lusaka, Zambia.
Analysts dey talk say di policy be like visa ban wey dem disguise as security measure. Di Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) don call di new rule discriminatory, say na way to exploit people and make money from dem.
Robert McCaw, wey be CAIR government affairs director, talk say, "Dis no be about national security. Na way to use immigration policy to punish some countries and turn America welcome mat to paywall." Di policy na something wey dem first introduce for November 2020 under President Donald Trump, but dem no implement am dat time.
Di US State Department talk say di consular officers for di world get di power to decide di bond amount for travellers from countries wey dem believe get high visa overstay rate. Dem say di measure na to support US immigration law and stop visa overstay.
Visa holders wey pay di bond go need enter and comot US through three airports: Boston Logan Airport, JFK International Airport, and Washington Dulles Airport. If dem use any other airport, dem fit no enter or dem departure no go register well.
Di bond money go return if di traveller comot US within di approved time and follow all visa rules. But Matemba talk say, "E no make am better."
Some people dey see di US policy as chance for African countries to shine. Anthony Mukwita, wey be former Zambian ambassador, talk say di policy fit push Africans to focus on dia own countries. "Zambia get plenty resources. We fit farm, produce food, reduce poverty, and make people stay for Zambia instead of dey find $15,000 visa," e talk.
Matemba agree say Africa get plenty to show di world, from di minerals to di culture and beautiful places. "Dis na lesson for African countries to project di continent well for di world stage," e talk.
Matemba dey hope say Malawi and Zambia government go fit talk to US make dem dey consider visa applicants one by one, instead of di blanket policy. "E no fair to punish everybody. Most people dey go US for business or medical reasons and dem dey return," e talk.
Di irony be say as di world dey connect more, di visa rules dey restrict people from sharing culture, ideas, and innovation. Trump don dey take hard stance on immigration since e return for second term. Di visa bond policy na part of di measures wey di US dey use to monitor visa overstay and identity verification.
