Ecuador has announced the cancellation of visa-free transit privileges for citizens of 45 countries, including 34 African nations, with Mozambique among them. According to a report by Business Insider Africa, the measure aims to strengthen the country’s immigration policies and border control.
The affected African countries are: Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Benin, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Central African Republic, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Sudan.
Under the new directive, “travelers from the affected African countries will now need a transit visa to pass through Ecuadorian airports, regardless of whether they remain in the international zone.”
“Previously, citizens of these countries could transit without a visa as long as they remained in the international transit area without passing through immigration or customs. However, that exemption has now been revoked,” the directive notes.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility stated that the measure also aims to improve transit regulations and address growing security concerns related to irregular migration. “This policy change will particularly affect travelers making international stopovers in Ecuador on their way to destinations in the Americas,” it emphasizes.
Recently, an internal memo from the U.S. Department of State revealed that the Trump administration is considering adding Mozambique to the list of countries whose citizens could be barred from entering the United States.
The proposal would expand the current ban—which already affects 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia—to an additional 36 nations considered “concerning.” The group includes three members of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (PALOP): Angola, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Equatorial Guinea, also a CPLP member, was already on the original list.
These countries under review have 60 days to demonstrate cooperation in deporting their nationals and preventing terrorist activities. After this period, a full or partial suspension of entry into U.S. territory may be recommended.
Source: DE
