The United States Department of State has announced plans to significantly reduce the number of diplomatic missions in Africa that process visa applications for foreign travellers, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Quoting officials and an internal memorandum, it was reported on Monday that the number of US embassies and consulates across Africa handling visa applications will be cut from nearly 50 to about 20 in the coming weeks.

The report said the decision was conveyed to US diplomats, including consular chiefs, during a conference call held last Friday.

One official who participated in the call confirmed the development.

According to the officials and the internal memo, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the directive last week as part of the planned restructuring of visa-processing operations across the continent.

According to the memo, 20 diplomatic missions across Africa will remain designated visa-processing hubs.

These are located in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti City, Djibouti; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Lomé, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaoundé, Cameroon.

While the State Department has not confirmed an exact implementation date, the restructuring is expected to take effect this month, according to the memo.

The latest move comes about six months after the administration of President Donald Trump recalled ambassadors from more than two dozen countries, including Nigeria, with Africa emerging as the region most affected by the decision.

The planned reduction in visa-processing locations also coincides with ongoing efforts by the US government to tighten immigration controls and limit the flow of migrants into the country, reflecting a broader shift toward stricter immigration policies