by Alec Dut,
For years, the rest of the world has witnessed Africa remain an accommodating continent for foreign expats especially when it comes to immigration requirements. These few and often lenient regulations have allowed a multitude of African countries to welcome in tourists, foreigners and investors from all corners of the world.
So why is it that when the tables are turned, Africans do not receive the same treatment when travelling to these foreign countries? To start with, applying for a visa to these countries is a time consuming process, almost like it requires blood and sweat. It becomes even more difficult if you hold a weak African passport. And as if that’s not bad enough, you can still pay for the visa and end up being rejected for simple reasons, such as not having strong ties to your home country.
Perhaps the time has come for Africa to take back it’s power and meet these foreign countries at the same level of treatment when it comes to travel restrictions. Maybe then by taking a step in our shoes, they will finally understand how dehumanizing and discouraging it feels to travel to a place with such strict restrictions.
Countries like Botswana have been the latest to be hit with the sudden change in visa laws.In the past, it was easy for Batswana citizens to travel to the UK and Ireland without visa requirements but that is all changing because the UK and Ireland have implemented visa requirements for individuals that hold the Botswana passport. This is a result of an influx in asylum seekers and concerns for their border security. So the question remains, Why are they not giving back the same treatment to UK citizens that travel to Botswana? It is not fair that Africa continues to overextend itself while these countries are not even willing to meet us halfway. It is time Africa wakes up and realizes how much power we hold, stand on our own two feet and learn to match actions with actions. We need to teach the other countries that being fair and just comes as a two way street. This is not a battle of the borders but it is a way to demonstrate that we should reciprocate respect and equality. If Africa welcomes foreign people in with open arms then their own people should receive the same warm welcome when they visit foreign lands. This would also be an opportunity for our African leaders to show just how much they care about their people and they would achieve this by fighting for our equal treatment when it comes to border laws. This would also highlight the values in which Africans stand for like respect, justice, fairness and kindness. When we stand firm and express our wishes, the western world might also take time to ponder over their strict visa rules for Africans and consider being more lenient.