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Claim: A Facebook user, Aloysius Howe, has alleged that the US Embassy in Liberia has suspended indefinitely all non-immigrant and immigrant visa application services.
Verdict: According to the official Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Liberia, all previously arranged visa appointments for dates after August 16 remain valid.
Full Text
A Facebook user, Aloysius Howe, claimed that the U.S. Embassy in Liberia has indefinitely suspended all non-immigrant and immigrant visa application services.
Mr Howe further stated, “Only those who already have visa interviews between now and August 16 will be processed.”
He made the claim on his official Facebook page on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
The post generated over 200 comments, 12 shares, and over 100 emojis.
This claim came when Liberia’s 177th Independence Day orator, Dr Robtel Neajai Pailey, called on the country to examine its relationship with the United States of America a day after the arrival of a new United States Ambassador to Liberia.
During her oration, Dr Pailey stated, “[we] must forge new strategic partnerships based on mutual benefit and disabuse ourselves of the notion that we have a ‘special relationship’ with America. Truth be told, this so-called ‘special relationship’ only exists in our imagination. Lest we forget, the United States was one of the last countries to recognise our independence.”
The comments by Dr Pailey led to the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, Catherine Rodriguez, walking out of the hall, followed by a strongly worded statement issued by the U.S. embassy in Monrovia.
According to the U. S. embassy’s statement, “Independence Day is a time for hope and unity. CDA Rodriguez’s decision to walk out was a measured response to the orator’s comments. While the orator is entitled to freedom of speech, the CDA chose to exercise her right not to listen to such remarks.”
The suspension of the visa application by the US Embassy may be a direct response by the US to the comments made by Dr Pailey during the Independence Day celebration.
DUBAWA therefore decided to investigate the issue.
Verification
The researcher first contacted the claimant, Mr Howe, to ask if he had any evidence that the Embassy had indefinitely suspended all visa application processes. But there was no response, as evident in the screenshot below.
The researcher then visited the official Facebook page of the United States Embassy in Monrovia, and there, the U.S. embassy provided clarity, stating that the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia is transitioning to a new visa services provider to serve applicants better.
The U.S. Embassy clarity furthered, “All previously scheduled visa appointments for dates after August 16 remain valid. For updates and more detailed information, please visit the U.S. Embassy website. If you have or plan to schedule a visa appointment on or after August 16, check the U.S. Embassy website regularly for the latest information about our new appointment scheduling website: lr.usembassy.gov/visas.”
The researcher also connected with the U.S. embassy in Monrovia via email, and Mr Robert J. Clarke, Jr., Strategist communications specialist in the public diplomacy section of the U.S. embassy, referred the researcher to the embassy official Facebook for the embassy’s response as seen in the screenshot below
The researcher then had to investigate whether the suspension was exclusive to Liberia or the same for other countries in the sub-region. He discovered that the U.S. Embassy issued the memo to other African countries, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire.
Conclusion
According to the U.S. Embassy’s clarification provided via its official Facebook page, Facebook user Aloysius Howe’s claim distorts the facts and is misleading.
