Let us talk about visa colonialism

 In 2018, President Donald Trump unleashed a word that seemed to ‘’shock’’ the world when he wondered why America was allowing  people from shithole countries to enter their country. Many acted surprised, but an assessment of the visa bureaucracies across the world indeed portray that even if the same word is not used, the implications and effects endorse use of the word.

And, as  Ibram X. Kendi notes, it really torches into the racial hierarchies of free movement across the globe especially for none white people (or those with passports from ‘’shithole countries’’).

Travel visa requirements are generally recognised as the result of a trade-off between preventing irregular migration, ensuring security, and allowing potential economic benefits to countries. However, the racial biases and the colonial legacies that go with the system remain silent and not tackled. It takes some one from a ‘shithole’ country, who has experienced discrimination to understand the extent of it. Nkiacha Atemnkeng in his article describes in detail some of the frustrations of visa denials, regardless of how noble the reason of travel is.

I have never been denied a visa because most of my travel time is related to work. However, the bureaucracy that I experience as a researcher living and working in the UK compared to those holding passports from non ‘’shithole’’ countries is frustrating. While travellers from developed countries enter other countries with ease – they either don’t need a visa at all, or they can just fill a form and get the visa on arrival with no major questions asked.

Last year IIED was a partner at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam’s event ‘’the power of knowledge’’ and I was leading one of the sessions, where we wanted to present some of our research findings on strengthening equitable partnerships. I applied for a visa, but the next interview slot was available in three months’ time! The explanation given was because of post covid travels, and assumes everyone is travelling for summer holidays. It adds that ‘’ All persons who are nationals of a country that has not reached a visa-liberalization or a similar agreement with the Schengen Area countries must obtain a visa before travelling to the EU’’. Of course, it is visa liberalisation! - but we dont get to determine when appointments are available.

In my mind, I am thinking, what if global south countries de-liberalise the visa processes for those not reciprocating, could it shift the status quo? I was in Kigali with a work colleague early this Month, we talked about how it felt good to not need a visa as members of the Africa Union. Does Africa or the global south countries have a position on this as we talk about the wold being a ''global village'', Africa -Europe partnerships and others? 

Early this year, I was invited to attend a meeting in Germany, when I applied in February, available visa slots were in May, when this particular event was happening. I gave up on this event.

Just this month, IIED was hosting the community-based adaptation conference in Bangkok, I applied for a visa, based on guidance any work-related visa would be under business e-visa. The documents requested for are ridiculous, its like you are applying for citizenship in Thailand. Every two days I was being asked for a new document -letters, bank statements, even when my employer had issued a letter to say they are covering all costs, etc. The visa didn’t come in time, even after paying for priority as I was travelling in the earlier weeks of the month. I missed the conference, the visa was issues 2 days after the conference had started. I was leading the decolonising climate action theme at CBA17, the irony of it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and makes me realise that we need more conversations on how colonial legacies are shaping everything we do.

With global mobility, it does not matter whether you are rich or poor, male or female, your passport defines you.

What do we learn out of this?

The global mobility divide is real, on the global scale, patterns of travel visa requirements show deep rooted inequality in access to foreign spaces based on nationality. Passport holders from African countries especially face high levels of travel restrictions and discrimination regardless of the reason of travel.

·         The passports granting “freedom” are generally from Western Nations and a few wealthy nations whereas, the passports that are “barriers” are primarily from Third world countries that are majorly Muslim, African, or poor.

·         Human rights are selectively applied. While Article 13 of the universal declaration on Human rights declares that “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country it doesn’t work that way even when the reason is genuine.

·         Even when you work in the same spaces, nationalities still define privileges including freedom of movement. The Global South is usually ‘’othered’’ as subordinate by nationality.

·         The legacies of the colonial era continue to bite us, with the global north acting as superior and the global south inferior. However, racial hierarchies also exist between Asia and Africa in terms of visa rules.

Four issues consulates and those making visa regulations need to consider.

1)    If visa applicants are travelling for work reasons and with evidence submitted, believe that they are travelling for work just as you travel to their countries as experts, researchers or other.

2)    Not everyone wants to move and live in your country. Some have genuine reasons to travel.

3)    Not every traveller is on holiday, some have serious work and denying them visas to do a course, a fellowship or deliver a piece of work affects their careers as well as their self-esteem.

4)    Remember that when you travel without restrictions regardless of the reason, it doesn’t make you a better human being than those you are denying visas. It is a positionality issue and must be addressed at global scale.

 

Ramblings of a disgruntled human being