East African Communities In Scotland

25/04/2026

Kenyan leader sparks uproar after mocking Nigerians' spoken English
By Wycliffe Muia
Reporting fromNairobi
24 April 2026, 07:36 BST
https://eacscotland.org/
Kenyan President William Ruto has faced a social media backlash after publicly suggesting that Nigerian-accented English was incomprehensible and required a translator.
Addressing Kenyans living in Italy on Monday, Ruto said: "If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don't know what they are saying - you need a translator," while boasting that Kenyans spoke "some of the best English in the world".
His remarks drew fierce condemnation from Nigerians and other Africans online who accused the Kenyan leader of demeaning a fellow African nation.
"English is a colonial language, not a measure of intelligence, capability, or national progress," wrote Hopewell Chin'ono, a Zimbabwean journalist.
As former British colonies, both Kenya and Nigeria share English as an official language, but each country has developed distinct spoken varieties with different phonetic structures.
These differences reflect the influence of indigenous languages - Nigeria has more than 500 languages which shape its cadence and intonation, while Kenya's Bantu, Nilotic and Cush*tic mix give rise to its own accents.
But in his address to the diaspora gathering, Ruto said Kenya's education system produced strong English proficiency and that it was difficult to understand Nigerians when they spoke English.
"Our education is good. Our English is good. We speak some of the best English in the world. If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don't know what they are saying. You need a translator even when they are speaking English," he said, sparking laughter in the room.
"We have some of the best human capital anywhere in the world. We just need to sharpen it with more training," Ruto added.
His remarks have led to widespread reactions on social media, with many users criticising the Kenyan leader for showcasing a "deep inferiority complex rooted in colonial conditioning".
"Ruto is mocking the English of the country with a Nobel Prize for literature winner.The Nation of Achebe and Chimamanda," former Nigerian senator Shehu Sani posted on X, referring to Wole Soyinka - the country's only Nobel Prize winner - along with acclaimed authors Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Other social media users urged Ruto to focus on addressing pressing issues facing his citizens - such as the cost of living and unemployment - rather than engaging in what they described as distractions.
Online barbs between Kenya and Nigeria are a frequent occurrence, often marked by intense, humorous and sometimes volatile cyber wars on platforms like X.
These exchanges typically revolve around economic comparisons, pop culture and sport and, more recently, political remarks.
Earlier this month, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu faced a backlash from Kenyans online after stating that Nigerians were "better off than those in Kenya and other African countries" despite rising fuel prices at home.
While Ruto did not make a direct reference to any specific comment, some online interpretations suggested his remarks may be in response to Tinubu's comments.
There has been no official response from Ruto's government, but some Kenyans have defended him online, arguing that critics have misunderstood the intent of his remarks and missed the humour.
Nigeria has more English speakers than any other country in Africa. Over time, the language has evolved locally into what is often described as "Nigerian English" - a distinct and widely recognised variety shaped by the country's history, cultures and everyday usage.
It continues to influence global English, with Nigerian expressions, such as "next tomorrow" (the day after tomorrow), increasingly appearing in mainstream dictionaries.
Nigeria's large and active diaspora, particularly in the UK, has also helped spread and shape these linguistic influences across borders.
Additional reporting by Makuochi Okafor in Lagos
Courtesy Of BBC
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18/04/2026

Labour’s secret stitch-up on transgender
Joanna Williams
Published- 15 April 2026 5:38pm BST.
https://eacscotland.org/
A year ago this week, the Supreme Court ruled that “s*x” refers to a person’s biological s*x at birth and not their gender identity. Whether a person is male or female, in other words, is a matter of chromosomes, hormones and anatomy, not thoughts and feelings.
Once, such basic facts of life were clear to everyone. The very idea of needing lawyers to define “man” and “woman”, and politicians to determine who, exactly, gets to use single-s*x spaces was too ridiculous to contemplate. But then, transgender rights activists confused the picture. Men wearing dresses and waving Gender Recognition Certificates barged into women’s toilets, changing rooms, sports teams and prison cells.
The Supreme Court’s ruling began restoring sanity to public life, but it fell to Labour’s Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities, to finish the job. Alas, it remains undone. Guidance on upholding women’s right to single-s*x spaces – vital instruction on how schools and hospitals, local councils and charities should interpret and implement the legal definition of s*x – has not been published. Worse, previous civil service policies backing gender self-identification remain in place.
New rules would help nudge institutions that have not yet taken steps to protect single-s*x spaces to get their act together. Being able to point to Government-approved documents would help groups like the Girl Guides, who are trying to implement change but are meeting resistance. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has played its part and produced guidance for Government ministers. So why is Phillipson dragging her feet?
Excuses appear plentiful. Time, we have been told repeatedly, is needed to get the code of practice right. But after twelve long months, it’s worth asking just how much time is needed to specify that men should stick to the male toilets and leave the female loos to women. It is hardly rocket science. Men and women, boys and girls, have been able to divide themselves according to s*x for millennia. We haven’t all suddenly lost this capacity.
But such straightforward knowledge seems to elude Phillipson. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, the current head of the EHRC, says that her organisation has been asked to rewrite and update aspects of the guidance as recently as this month. According to one account, a draft was returned to the EHRC with a request for more examples of how organisations can be inclusive while complying with the letter of the law. This follows an earlier demand for more “commonsense” exemptions to the single-s*x ruling. To be clear, “inclusive” and “exemptions” in this context mean more ways for males to legitimately enter female-only spaces.
All of these calls for additional clarification mean that Phillipson can now claim that next month’s elections in Scotland and Wales are standing in the way of her publishing the new guidance. Any discussion might sway the electorate, and purdah, she says, prevents this. How convenient. Purdah has not stopped myriad other Government announcements and interventions in recent days, on health, education and the economy.
Fears of swaying the electorate suggest that at the forefront of Phillipson’s mind are not women demanding the protection of single-s*x spaces but transgender rights activists. It is their votes she fears losing, not those of the no-nonsense people of Wales, the former Labour heartland where people most definitely do know the difference between men and women. Baroness Falkner of Margravine, the EHRC’s former chairman, is absolutely right when she accuses Phillipson of putting “personal ambition” above her role as women and equalities minister.
We need to be clear. It is not lack of time or electoral rules that are preventing the publication of guidance on single-s*x spaces. It is a lack of political will. Phillipson might not be bold enough to come right out and say it, but it seems obvious to everyone that she is reluctant to publish new guidance because she opposes it.
We should not be surprised. After all, few in Government rushed to welcome the Supreme Court ruling. There were no Labour ministers celebrating the restoration of women’s rights. Indeed, For Women Scotland, the group that secured last year’s legal victory, accused the Minister for Women and Equalities of refusing to meet with them. It was never realistic to think that a party unwilling to defend one of their own MPs, Rosie Duffield, from vile abuse from transgender activists, would suddenly come to see sense on women’s rights. But if Phillipson hopes that those arguing for single-s*x spaces might eventually tire and give up, then she seriously underestimates British women.
Courtesy of The BBC.
https://eacscotland.org/

We welcome all those who wish to be active participants in the effort to build harmony and mutual respect between people of different ethnic backgrounds. We do this by encouraging social contact and developing projects that can help to foster integration and bring cultural and economic benefits to b...

09/04/2026

Asylum seekers waiting over a year for claim in UK may be allowed to work under new measures.
https://eacscotland.org/
Shabana Mahmood hopes to reduce number of claimants in hotels by enabling them to support themselves
Rajeev Syal -Home affairs editor
Wed 4 Mar 2026 22.30 GMT
Up to 21,000 asylum seekers who have waited for a year for their claims to be processed could be allowed to enter the jobs market so they can support themselves, the Home Office has said, as part of a package of measures to be announced on Thursday.
As the government seeks to empty asylum hotels, claimants who break the law, work illegally or are found to have enough assets to live without support will from June be ejected and lose their support payments.
The developments have been questioned by the Refugee Council for risking an increase in rough sleeping among those escaping war and famine.
They come as Shabana Mahmood has hit back in a column for the Guardian at demands from senior labour movement figures for ministers to stop focusing on migration and to soften their attacks on the Green party.
The home secretary wrote: “Restoring order at our border is not just an embodiment of Labour values, it is the necessary condition for a Labour government to do anything at all.”
Mahmood wrote that Labour’s vision should appeal to the mainstream and be “neither the nightmare of Farage’s borders, effectively closed, nor the Greens’ fairytale of borders effectively open”. She also said the government planned to launch a new “safe and legal” route in the autumn for students seeking refuge.
There are about 30,600 people awaiting asylum claims living in roughly 200 hotels across the UK, and 107,000 people receiving asylum support, the Home Office said.
At present, those in dispersal accommodation, such as private housing, receive £48 a week, while those in hotels receive £9.95 per person.
Officials are seeking to move on many of the 21,000 people who have been in hotels for more than a year by extending permission to work.
If they find work, the intention is that they would fall under the category of having asylum support removed and eventually move out.
The statutory legal duty under EU law to provide asylum seekers with support and accommodation would be revoked on Thursday, the Home Office said.
Instead, it would be replaced with a conditional approach, so support would be reserved only for those who genuinely needed it and followed the law.
The measures, which will be laid in parliament and come into force in June, would remove support payments and accommodation to asylum seekers who illegally work, have the ability to support themselves, have the right to work or have broken the law.
The Home Office did not respond to questions asking if the 21,000 would be restricted to jobs on the “immigration salary list”.
Asked on what criteria the Home Office would decide whether an individual has enough assets to survive without financial support, a source said it would be “on a case by case basis” and with no set threshold.
Keir Starmer and Mahmood have been facing calls from across the labour movement to move towards progressive policies in the wake of the Green party victory at the Gorton and Denton byelection.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, wrote in the Guardian: “A political strategy of taking liberal, progressive voters for granted is clearly flawed.”
“The vast majority of those who are thinking of voting Green are not extreme,” Khan said.
The latest announcement comes after the home secretary visited Denmark last week to see how it has tackled immigration, bringing asylum claims to a 40-year low.
Mahmood is following the Danish model in which the government seeks to make it less attractive for illegal migrants to come to the UK.
She will make a speech today at the IPPR thinktank on Thursday outlining how these reforms are in line with her British values.
Imran Hussain, the director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said: “Forcing people into destitution will not fix the system or deter people who have escaped torture or persecution. Instead, it is more likely to push them into sleeping rough, and shift costs on to local authorities and the NHS, making cases harder to resolve.”
Courtesy of The Guardian.
https://eacscotland.org/

We welcome all those who wish to be active participants in the effort to build harmony and mutual respect between people of different ethnic backgrounds. We do this by encouraging social contact and developing projects that can help to foster integration and bring cultural and economic benefits to b...

07/04/2026

Europe leans on Africa as trust with the United States and Middle East declines
OLAMILEKAN OKEBIORUN
04 April 2026 05:05 PM
https://eacscotland.org/
Europe is facing mounting strain in its relations with the United States, while tensions over the Iran war are testing ties with Middle Eastern partners, exposing cracks within NATO and pushing the bloc to deepen its engagement with Africa as it repositions its global alliances.
• Growing tensions with the US, especially over NATO and defense responsibilities, have highlighted Europe's vulnerability in security frameworks.
• Europe is pivoting towards Africa to secure energy and strategic partnerships amid strained US relations and Middle East instability.
• Disruptions in Middle Eastern energy supply routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz, have pushed Europe to seek alternatives, boosting reliance on African resources.
• European engagement with Africa is shifting from traditional aid to strategic, interest-driven partnerships in sectors like energy, security, and digital infrastructure.
e under strain after U.S. President Donald Trump questioned NATO’s relevance and urged allies to take greater responsibility for their defence.
The president told Reuters he is “absolutely” considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after criticising the alliance and its role in the conflict.
“They haven’t been friends when we needed them,” Trump told Reuters. “We’ve never asked them for much … it’s a one-way street.”
However, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended NATO as “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen. And it has kept us safe for many decades. And we are fully committed to NATO.”
On the Israel–Iran conflict, he said Britain would not take part, despite supporting a 30-nation coalition to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and granting the United States access to its bases.
“This is not our war,” Starmer said. “We will not be drawn into the conflict.”
Middle East crisis exposes structural vulnerabilities
At the same time, the Iran conflict and Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted critical energy corridors, exposing Europe’s continued dependence on Middle Eastern supply routes.
Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have urged U.S. President Donald Trump to sustain pressure on Iran, saying Tehran has not been sufficiently weakened by the month-long U.S.-led bombing campaign, U.S., Gulf and Israeli officials told the Associated Press.
In contrast, Europe has largely adopted a more cautious approach to the conflict, emphasising de-escalation over direct involvement, a stance that has drawn concern from Israel, Iran, the United States and Gulf partners.
“Across major European capitals, the initial response was caution, distance and deflection. Leaders relied on calls for restraint, opting for avoidance over action and appearing to treat the threat as one that could be managed rather than confronted,” according to Arab News.
The report added that Europe’s subsequent actions were driven more by necessity than choice. “They are stepping forward because they have to. Not because they chose to. That distinction matters. Because when the Gulf first came under sustained attack, Europe’s instinct was not solidarity. It was to turn away.”
Energy shocks accelerate Africa pivot
With traditional supply routes under pressure, Africa is emerging as a critical alternative for Europe’s energy security.
Roughly 40 percent of Europe’s jet fuel has historically come through the Strait of Hormuz, now disrupted by geopolitical tensions, pushing north-west European prices to $1,744 per tonne, nearly double pre-war levels.
In response, Europe is increasingly turning to African suppliers, as global flows adjust.
Shipments to Asia and Europe from key West African producers Angola and Nigeria are expected to rise by about 200,000 barrels per day to 3.72 million bpd, according to Kpler.
Italy has expanded gas cooperation with Algeria, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirming that more than 30% of its natural gas demand is supplied by the North African country, while Nigeria accounts for over half of Portugal’s LNG imports.
The shift is also visible in refined fuel markets, with cargoes from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery reaching key European ports.
An industry source at the refinery in Lekki, Lagos, said “most of the European countries have been our main buyers.”
A major shipment is set for Amsterdam, Netherlands, while others have arrived in Rotterdam and Milford Haven in the United Kingdom, reflecting strong demand amid a tightening Jet A1 market.
Europe is shifting its approach to Africa, moving away from traditional aid models towards partnerships based on economic and security interests, Euronews reported.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas visited Nigeria and Ghana, where she announced a €288 million package covering healthcare, agriculture, finance, migration and digital infrastructure.
In Ghana, she signed the first EU-Ghana Security and Defence Partnership. “This partnership allows us to work more closely in areas that matter for the security of our citizens, both in Europe and Ghana,” Kallas said.
The European Union has committed more than €1 billion through the European Peace Facility and deployed 12 civilian and military missions to support African-led initiatives.
Speaking in Brussels, Younous Omarjee, Vice President of the European Parliament, said, “I believe that we must today revise our policy with African countries and move away from this development aid policy, which is outdated and which does not draw the consequences of concrete realities.”
He added: “Because development and prosperity on the African continent determines development and prosperity in Europe. So we have interests in Africa, and African countries have interests and have an interest in their partnership with Europe.”
Courtesy of CBC
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We welcome all those who wish to be active participants in the effort to build harmony and mutual respect between people of different ethnic backgrounds. We do this by encouraging social contact and developing projects that can help to foster integration and bring cultural and economic benefits to b...

31/03/2026

UN votes to recognise enslavement of Africans as 'gravest crime against humanity'
Around 12-15 million Africans were captured during the slave trade
By Wedaeli Chibelushi and Thomas Naadi, BBC Africa,
25 March 2026
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The United Nations General Assembly has voted to recognise the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity", a move advocates hope will pave the way for healing and justice.
The resolution - proposed by Ghana - called for this designation, while also urging UN member states to consider apologising for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund. It does not mention a specific amount of money.
The proposal was adopted with 123 votes in favour and three against - the United States, Israel and Argentina.
Fifty-two countries abstained, including the United Kingdom and European Union member states.
Countries like the UK have long rejected calls to pay reparations, saying today's institutions cannot be held responsible for past wrongs.
Unlike UN Security Council resolutions, those from the General Assembly are not legally binding, though they carry the weight of global opinion.
"Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of the slave trade and those who continue to suffer racial discrimination," Ghana's President John Mahama told the assembly ahead of the vote.
''The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting. It also challenges the enduring scars of slavery,'' he said.
Earlier, his foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, told the BBC's Newsday programme: "We are demanding compensation - and let us be clear, African leaders are not asking for money for themselves.
"We want justice for the victims and causes to be supported, educational and endowment funds, skills training funds."
The campaign for reparations has gained significant momentum in recent years - "reparatory justice" was the African Union's official theme for 2025 and Commonwealth leaders have jointly called for dialogue on the matter.
Ablakwa also said that, with the resolution, Ghana was not ranking its pain above anyone else's, but simply documenting a historical fact.
Between 1500 and 1800, around 12-15 million people were captured in Africa and taken to the Americas where they were forced to work as slaves. It is estimated that over two million people died on the journey.
The resolution, backed by the African Union and the Caribbean Community, states that the consequences of slavery persist in the form of racial inequalities and underdevelopment "affecting Africans and people of African descent in all parts of the world".
Ablakwa told the BBC: "Many generations continue to suffer the exclusion, the racism because of the transatlantic slave trade which has left millions separated from the continent and impoverished."
Ahead of the vote, speaker after speaker expressed similar views.
The UK, one of the major powers involved in the transatlantic slave trade, said it recognised the untold harm and misery that had been caused to millions of people over many decades.
But its ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki, told the assembly in his speech, external that the resolution was problematic in terms of its wording and international law.
"No single set of atrocities should be regarded as more or less significant than another," he said.
Image caption,
The Elmina slave fort is among many historical trading points still standing in Ghana
The US's ambassador to the UN made similar points during his speech, external, saying his country "does not recognise a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred".
In addition, Dan Negrea said the US objected to the "cynical usage of historical wrongs as a leverage point to reallocate modern resources to people and nations who are distantly related to the historical victims".
Ghana, one of the main gateways for the transatlantic slave trade, has long been a leading advocate for reparations.
Forts, where tens of thousands of enslaved Africans were once held under inhuman conditions, remain standing along the West African country's coast.
As well as the "legal problems" around reparations, the US ambassador said the resolution was unclear as "to whom the recipients of 'reparatory justice' would be".
Negrea also responded to Mahama's earlier criticism of Donald Trump's administration for "normalising the erasure of black history".
Since returning to power, the US president has targeted American cultural and historical institutions for promoting what he calls "anti-American ideology".
Trump's orders have led to moves such as the restoration of Confederate statues and an attempt to dismantle a slavery exhibit in Philadelphia.
"These policies are becoming a template for other governments as well as some private institutions," Mahama had said on Tuesday.
But Negrea said President Trump had done "more for black Americans than any other president".
"He is working around the clock to deliver for them and make our country greater than ever," he said.
The resolution also calls for cultural artefacts stolen during the colonial era to be returned to their countries of origin.
"We want a return of all those looted artefacts, which represent our heritage, our culture and our spiritual significance," Ablakwa said.
"All those artefacts looted for many centuries into the colonial era ought to be returned."
Courtesy of the BBC.
https://eacscotland.org/

We welcome all those who wish to be active participants in the effort to build harmony and mutual respect between people of different ethnic backgrounds. We do this by encouraging social contact and developing projects that can help to foster integration and bring cultural and economic benefits to b...

07/01/2026

New Visa Rules For 2026: The UK Immigration Changes Set For The New Year.December 2025.
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New immigration rules are set to come into force in 2026, marking one of the most substantial overhauls of the system in years.
Under plans to reduce net migration there will be changes to visas, including significantly increasing English language requirements for foreign workers.
The measures, which build on those set out in the Government's immigration white paper in May, are designed to make it more difficult for some migrants to come to Britain.
Here are the changes set to take place in the new year:
Visas
English language requirements for some major work-related visas will increase.
From January 8, 2026, many migrants will need to speak English to an A-level standard under tougher new rules.
The change will impact graduates and those applying for skilled worker or scale-up visas, which are for those employed by fast-growing businesses.
The new rule will apply only to new, first-time applicants. Existing visa holders extending their permission to stay in Britain will not face the higher requirement.
The measure was first announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in October. She said: "If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part… It is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life."
Settled Status
At the centre of the Government’s immigration reforms is the introduction of a new “earned settlement” model, which will alter the way migrants qualify for permanent residency in Britain.
The Home Office earlier this year announced the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain will be extended from five to 10 years.
But some could be waiting for up to 20 years.
The measures will apply to the estimated 2.6 million people who have arrived in the UK since 2021. People who have already obtained settlement will not be affected.

Settlement or Indefinite Leave to Remain allows someone to live in the UK permanently, work and access public services without restrictions. It is also a key step towards gaining British citizenship.
Legal migrants who claim benefits for less than 12 months will have to wait 15 years for settled status, while those reliant on benefits for longer face a 20-year wait.
People who arrived on post-Brexit health and social care visas could also have to wait 15 years, up from five.
The changes are expected to come in from spring 2026, after a Government consultation ends in February.
Courtesy of BBC.
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We welcome all those who wish to be active participants in the effort to build harmony and mutual respect between people of different ethnic backgrounds. We do this by encouraging social contact and developing projects that can help to foster integration and bring cultural and economic benefits to b...

05/01/2026

In 2026, Citizens From These 7 Nations Are Limited From Entering The U.S. – Along With 19 Others
Jan 02, 2026.
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Miami, Florida, Miami International Airport MIA terminal, American Airlines skycap, passenger checking in at curbside baggage check. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)... More
JEFFREY GREENBERG/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES
As Americans ring in the new year, millions of people abroad are waking up to a very different reality: The door to enter the United States just inched a bit closer to being shut.
Under a newly expanded presidential Proclamation issued by the President under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, citizens of seven additional countries are now subject to a near-total bar on entering the United States, on top of an already sweeping set of restrictions that cover 19 other nations.
Taken together, advocates estimate that roughly one in five people who would otherwise be eligible to immigrate legally to the U.S. are now barred from doing so, and hundreds of thousands more will be blocked from obtaining or renewing temporary visas to study, work, or visit family.
The New Seven
The latest Proclamation tightens the June 2025 travel ban and moves seven nations into the harshest category: a total suspension of both immigrant and non-immigrant visas (covering everything from permanent residency to tourist, student, and work visas).
Effective with the new year, citizens of the following seven countries are now almost completely barred from entering the U.S.:
• Burkina Faso
• Laos
• Mali
• Niger
• Sierra Leone
• South Sudan
• Syria
In addition, individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority–issued (PA) travel documents now face full restrictions and entry limitations, effectively cutting off most PA document holders from U.S. visas. For these seven nations, access to the US has been reduced to rare case-by-case waivers labeled as “national interest.”

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS - APRIL 11: Chinese tourists take part in an alms giving ceremony to Buddhist monks on April 11, 2024 in Luang Prabang, Laos. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)... More
GETTY IMAGES
The 19 Countries Already On The List
These new restrictions do not replace the prior bans. Under the earlier June action, 19 countries were already facing broad limits. Twelve were subject to a near-total ban on both immigrant and non-immigrant visas:03:12
• Afghanistan
• Burma
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen
Seven more faced a total ban on immigrant visas and a partial ban on tourist, student, and exchange visas:
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos*
• Sierra Leone*
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela
(*Laos and Sierra Leone have now been moved into the toughest category — full bans on immigrant and non-immigrant visas.)
Turkmenistan is the lone technical “winner,” moving from a full ban on both immigrant and non-immigrant visas to a somewhat softer standard: its nationals can still not immigrate, but temporary visas are possible.

TOPSHOT - Students sit in a classroom during the visit of Britain's Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (unseen), to New Era Girls Senior Secondary School in Lagos, on November 20, 2025. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP) (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images)... More
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
The latest order also significantly grows the “partial ban” category — countries whose citizens are now blocked from immigrant visas and from the most common non-immigrant categories (business/tourist B-1/B-2, student F and M, and exchange visitor J visas).
Those 19 nations are:
• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Dominica
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe
• plus four countries that were already under partial restrictions and remain so: Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela
One of the most heavily impacted is Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. Over the last decade (excluding COVID-era disruptions), Nigerians received an average of about 128,000 immigrant and non-immigrant visas annually. Under the new rules, nearly all of those visa pathways are now cut off.
Perhaps the most consequential change is for families: the new Proclamation eliminates several key exceptions that previously softened the June ban. No longer exempt are: immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, minor children, parents), children adopted abroad, Afghans seeking special immigrant visas for assisting U.S. armed forces.
A U.S. citizen married to someone from Nigeria, Syria, or Eritrea, for example, will now generally be unable to sponsor that spouse or child, without a national-interest waiver, despite long-standing family-reunification pillars in U.S. immigration law.
Courtesy of BBC
https://eacscotland.org/

We welcome all those who wish to be active participants in the effort to build harmony and mutual respect between people of different ethnic backgrounds. We do this by encouraging social contact and developing projects that can help to foster integration and bring cultural and economic benefits to b...