Mali imposes $10,000 visa bonds on American visitors in a reciprocal move

Mali has announced that US citizens visiting the West African country will be required to pay a deposit of up to $10,000 (£7,500) for work and tourist visas, in response to similar requirements imposed on its citizens by the Trump administration.

The US Embassy in Mali said on Friday that the tariffs were imposed to reinforce Washington’s “commitment to protecting America’s borders and protecting America’s national security.”

The State Department of Finance said on Sunday that the bonds were imposed unilaterally and that it had decided to “create a similar visa program” for US citizens.

The shift in visa policy comes despite moves to improve diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In July, US officials visited Mali to discuss counterterrorism cooperation and economic partnerships, including access to Mali’s gold and lithium reserves.

Relations deteriorated after the coup in Mali in 2021 that brought General Assimi Goita to power.

He has turned the West African country toward Russia in an attempt to stop a growing insurgency by jihadists.

He expelled the French forces and brought in mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group, affiliated with the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. They have since been replaced by the Africa Corps.

Last week, the military government in Burkina Faso refused to receive deportees from the United States, as Washington suspended the issuance of entry visas to the West African country.

Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré wondered whether the embassy’s decision was “blackmail” after he said he rejected an American proposal to receive migrants from a third country.

The Trump administration has turned to African countries as destinations for deporting migrants as part of its campaign against immigration.