US partially lifts visa sanctions on Sierra Leone

The US government has announced the partial lifting of visa sanctions imposed on Sierra Leone over differences in the handling of deportees.

The US mission in Freetown said Secretary of State Antony Blinken ordered the move in recognition of the government’s increased assistance in facilitating the timely return home of its nationals who are subject to final orders of removal from the United States.

The sanctions were imposed in 2017 by the administration of former President Donald Trump, which at the time accused the Sierra Leone government of denying or “unreasonably” delaying accepting the return of its citizens, subjects, nationals or residents subject to final orders of removal from the United States.

In September last year, the issue became a heated subject of public discussion when the US government announced it was extending the ban. Sierra Leone protested the move, saying it had been cooperating with the US on the issue.

When they were imposed, the sanctions initially targeted junior level government officials mainly from the Foreign Ministry and Immigration Department, but when it announced the extension, the US Department of State notified the Sierra Leone government that it had extended the target to include immigrants and non-immigrant visas for ordinary Sierra Leoneans.

According to the statement announcing the latest decision, effective March 31, the US Embassy in Freetown will resume issuing all immigrant and most non-immigrant visas to qualified Sierra Leoneans. It adds that visa restrictions would continue to apply to B1, B2, and B1/B2 non-immigrant visas for officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Department until the Secretary of Homeland Security determines otherwise.

Edited by Olajumoke Adeleke