美国计划大幅削减在非洲可办理签证的使领馆数量US Plans to Drastically Reduce Visa-Processing Embassies in Africa

根据三名美国官员以及媒体获取的一份美国国务院内部备忘录，美国政府计划在未来几周内，大幅度缩减其在非洲的签证办理业务规模。该计划的具体内容是将非洲大陆上能够为寻求前往美国的外国申请人处理签证业务的美国使领馆数量，从目前的近50个直接削减至20个。

According to three US officials and an internal State Department memo obtained by the media, the US government plans to drastically scale back its visa-processing operations in Africa in the coming weeks. The plan will reduce the number of US embassies and consulates on the continent that process visa applications for foreign applicants seeking to travel to the United States from nearly 50 down to 20.

尽管美国国务院目前尚未为实施这些业务调整设定一个确切的日期，但相关官员预计这一削减计划将于2026年6月正式实施。透露上述政策细节的三名美国官员均表示，由于他们未获得授权向媒体公开评论此事，因此选择在要求匿名的条件下发声。这一举措将直接改变许多非洲国家申请人获取美国签证的途径与流程。

Although the State Department has not yet established a specific date for implementing these operational changes, officials expect the reduction to take place in June 2026. The three US officials who disclosed these policy details spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. This measure will directly alter the pathways and procedures for applicants in many African nations to obtain US visas.

这一削减非洲签证服务的决定，是特朗普政府在更大范围内限制向美国移民的整体政策举措的一部分。该计划旨在通过收紧移民和非移民签证的发放，来加强对入境人员的管控。美国政府此举的重点目标之一是严厉打击那些利用临时签证入境美国、但在签证过期后依然选择滞留不归的外国人员。

The decision to reduce visa services in Africa is part of the Trump administration's broader policy efforts to limit immigration to the United States. The initiative aims to tighten controls on entry by cracking down on the issuance of both immigrant and non-immigrant visas. A key focus of this administrative effort is to clamp down on individuals who travel to the United States on temporary visas but subsequently overstay their authorized period of stay.

除了收紧签证发放标准和打击签证逾期滞留外，特朗普政府还在全球范围内采取了精简外交机构的行动。作为该整体政策的一部分，美国政府已经开始缩减其在世界各地大使馆和领事馆的工作人员规模。此次在非洲大幅减少可办理签证的使领馆数量，正是这一全球性缩减人员及外交业务行动的具体体现。

In addition to tightening visa issuance and targeting visa overstays, the Trump administration has embarked on a global effort to streamline its diplomatic presence. As part of this broader agenda, the administration has scaled back personnel and staff at US embassies and consulates around the world. The upcoming reduction of visa-processing sites in Africa represents a concrete application of this global scaling-back of embassy operations and staffing.

这一政策调整源于美国国务卿马科·卢比奥于上周批准的一项行政指令。根据相关官员透露的信息以及美国国务院的内部备忘录，该指令明确要求缩减美国在非洲的领事业务，仅保留20个指定的“枢纽”来继续处理签证申请。这意味着，除了这20个保留签证服务的“枢纽”机构之外，非洲境内其余的大多数美国使领馆都将停止受理此类业务。

The policy shift stems from an administrative directive approved last week by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to details provided by officials and the internal State Department memo, the directive instructs the department to scale back its consular operations in Africa, leaving only 20 designated "hubs" authorized to continue processing visa applications. This means that the vast majority of US embassies and consulates across the continent will cease their visa-processing functions once the change is implemented.

在上述指令获得批准后，美国政府随即向其驻外外交官通报了这一决定。根据一名参与了上周五电话会议的美国官员透露，美国外交官以及各使领馆的领事负责人已在当天的会议中，正式接到了关于美国将在整个非洲大陆范围内削减签证服务规模的通知。这一通报标志着该项内部指令已开始向一线外交和领事团队进行贯彻落实。

Following the approval of the directive, the US government moved to inform its diplomatic corps of the upcoming changes. According to one US official who participated in the discussion, US diplomats, including consular chiefs, were formally notified during a conference call last Friday that the United States would be scaling back its visa services across Africa. This briefing served as the direct channel for conveying the newly approved operational restrictions to the personnel responsible for managing consular services on the ground.