{"id":1456,"date":"2023-03-30T11:24:01","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T11:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/feelnubia.org.uk\/?p=1456"},"modified":"2025-06-18T12:11:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T12:11:10","slug":"are-africans-citizens-of-the-world-ooooota-adepo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feelnubia.org.uk\/index.php\/2023\/blog-misc-and-opinions\/are-africans-citizens-of-the-world-ooooota-adepo\/","title":{"rendered":"Access Denied: Africans Face Global Discrimination Daily"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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How can you follow your dream when your access is censored? (Image: Alex Azabache @Unsplash)<\/p><\/div>\r\n

\u00a0<\/h1>\r\n

Discrimination Against Africans in Global Travel and Economy<\/h1>\r\n

It\u2019s the 21st century, but Africans still face walls that others don\u2019t see.<\/p>\r\n

Whether it\u2019s applying for a visa, opening a foreign bank account, or doing business across borders, the African passport comes with an invisible warning sign: \u201cExtra scrutiny required.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n

Despite the progress made on the continent, the global system continues to treat Africans as second-class citizens. Let\u2019s talk about it.<\/p>\r\n

Travel While African<\/h2>\r\n

Africans often face major hurdles just to travel. It’s not just the high cost of airfare. It\u2019s the suspicion.<\/p>\r\n

Try applying for a tourist visa as a Nigerian, Congolese, or Somali citizen. Chances are high you\u2019ll face long waits, repeated rejections, and harsh questioning. You may even be denied a visa with no explanation. Why? Because African travelers are often presumed to be illegal migrants or security risks.<\/p>\r\n

Even students and professionals, fully funded and invited abroad, face harsh travel restrictions. Embassies ask for unreasonable proof of funds, question intentions, and delay applications.<\/p>\r\n

The African passport is one of the least powerful in the world. Many Africans need visas for over 150 countries that welcome Westerners with open arms and little paperwork.<\/p>\r\n

The Airport Experience<\/h2>\r\n

Let\u2019s say an African traveler gets the visa and boards the flight. The next battle begins at immigration.<\/p>\r\n

Across Europe, the U.S., and even parts of Asia, African travelers are flagged more often for \u201crandom checks.\u201d Bags are searched. Questions are sharp. Facial expressions turn cold.<\/p>\r\n

Some are detained for hours. Others are sent back at their own expense.<\/p>\r\n

African travelers are also the least likely to be welcomed into \u201cglobal north\u201d airports without suspicion, no matter their wealth, education, or purpose.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s exhausting, degrading, and common.<\/p>\r\n

Banking While African<\/h2>\r\n

Doing business internationally as an African is another mountain to climb.<\/p>\r\n

Opening a foreign account? Expect rejection or endless paperwork. Sending or receiving funds? Prepare for high fees, long delays, and investigations.<\/p>\r\n

Many African countries are red-flagged by international banks as \u201chigh risk.\u201d This blanket label affects honest entrepreneurs, NGOs, and students. It makes it harder to trade, invest, or collaborate globally.<\/p>\r\n

Even platforms like PayPal or Stripe have limited availability or full restrictions in many African countries. This locks millions out of the digital economy.<\/p>\r\n

And if you\u2019re sending money home as a diaspora African, you\u2019ll likely face the highest remittance fees in the world. That\u2019s not coincidence\u2014it\u2019s systemic.<\/p>\r\n

Business Biases<\/h2>\r\n

When African entrepreneurs show up in global rooms, they\u2019re often underestimated.<\/p>\r\n

They get fewer investment opportunities. Their ideas are scrutinized more. Sometimes, they\u2019re asked to \u201cfind a Western co-founder\u201d to secure funding.<\/p>\r\n

Meanwhile, foreign investors with\u00a0limited understanding of Africa invest millions to establish businesses in Africa, often with poor results.<\/p>\r\n

There\u2019s a global perception problem. Africans are often seen as recipients of help, rather than creators of innovation. But this couldn\u2019t be further from the truth.<\/p>\r\n

Africans are building tech unicorns, green energy solutions, and bold cultural movements. They deserve recognition\u2014not suspicion.<\/p>\r\n

The Role of Racism<\/h2>\r\n

Let\u2019s call it what it is: global anti-African discrimination is rooted in racism.<\/p>\r\n

Colonial ideas still shape how the world sees Africa. The continent is seen as poor, unstable, and helpless. So Africans are viewed as threats, burdens, or people to be saved.<\/p>\r\n

This perception filters into airport security, visa offices, banking policies, and business deals.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s not just about policies\u2014it\u2019s about the people behind those policies, and the stories they\u2019ve been told.<\/p>\r\n

Changing the Narrative<\/h2>\r\n

We need global systems to treat African citizens with fairness.<\/p>\r\n

That means:<\/p>\r\n