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U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Musa Kabba, in Washington this week for critical negotiations believed to be aimed at lifting a comprehensive U.S. visa ban on Sierra Leonean citizens.
The meeting, confirmed by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, addressed “ongoing efforts to advance joint economic interests and counter illegal immigration.”
However, the primary obstacle remains Presidential Proclamation 10998, which imposed a full ban on both immigrant and non-immigrant visas for Sierra Leone on January 1, 2026.
The U.S. cited failures in information sharing and cooperation on deportation cases as the reason for the sanction.
Minister Kabba has publicly confirmed that the United States has formally requested Sierra Leone accept “third-party nationals” – individuals from other countries facing deportation from the U.S., often based on fraudulent claims of Sierra Leonean heritage – as a condition for revoking the ban.
In a recent interview, Kabba outlined Freetown’s cautious stance, stating Sierra Leone would only consider accepting nationals from within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and strictly under its national refugee laws. He highlighted the complexity of the issue, noting that many such individuals allegedly obtained false documents during Sierra Leone’s civil war era.
“If we’re going to take back nationals based on the registers, it would be West Africans,” Kabba stated, emphasizing the need for robust verification to ensure Sierra Leone does not become a destination for migrants from outside the region.
The visa ban has created significant friction, restricting travel for Sierra Leonean businesses, students, and families.
