Visa Denials Plague Global South in International Summits
Increasing visa denials are preventing Global South citizens from participating in key international summits, leading to substantial economic losses and exclusion from important decision-making. Activists like Sudanese climate advocate Roaa face hurdles due to stringent visa policies, underrepresentation, and anti-immigrant sentiments from Western countries hosting these conferences.
Visa denials are increasingly obstructing the participation of Global South representatives in significant international summits, raising concerns over their exclusion from vital decision-making processes. These refusals have led to substantial economic losses and the underrepresentation of voices from nations most impacted by global policies.
Sudanese climate activist Roaa exemplifies this issue, having been denied a visa to attend a UN climate conference in Germany. The rejection left her unable to lead youth advocacy efforts, while her peers from the Global North attended without difficulty. Such disparities highlight the barriers faced by individuals from the Global South.
In 2024 alone, Africans spent $70 million on rejected visa applications, reflecting stringent border policies fueled by rising far-right and populist movements in Europe and the U.S. These challenges underscore the need for inclusive policies that allow voices from the Global South to impact international policy decisions meaningfully.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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