Taiwan Suspends Visa Applications From Major African Country, Gives Reason

• Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the suspension took effect on July 30, citing the principle of reciprocity
• Morocco directed its embassies and consulates worldwide to stop processing visa confirmation letters for Taiwanese nationals
• The halt has disrupted travel and business exchanges between the two countries as Taiwan reviews its next steps

Taiwan has suspended visa applications from Moroccan nationals after Rabat instructed its diplomatic missions globally to stop accepting travel authorisation requests from Taiwanese visitors, triggering a fresh dispute between the two countries.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the measure came into force on Thursday, 30 July, citing the principle of reciprocity.

The ministry noted that applications may still be assessed in exceptional circumstances but acknowledged the freeze had already affected travel and bilateral exchanges.

How the visa dispute unfolded

Morocco's government directed its embassies and consulates around the world to halt the processing of new visa confirmation letter applications submitted by Taiwanese nationals.

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Saudi Arabia suspends entry for travellers from 3 African countries

Because Taiwan and Morocco do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, applications had previously been routed through Morocco's embassy in Japan, which then forwarded them to Rabat for approval.

Travellers who received confirmation before their applications were approved could collect a visa on arrival at a Moroccan airport upon landing.

Morocco's embassy in Japan notified travel agencies of the halt on 23 July. Nationals who obtained their confirmation letters before 20 July remain eligible to use them for as long as those documents are valid.

Taiwan calls for restoration of travel arrangements

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Morocco to reinstate the previous arrangements and said it would continue evaluating the situation before deciding on any further action. The ministry did not specify a deadline for Morocco to respond.

The dispute emerged around the same time King Mohammed VI marked 27 years on the throne, an occasion that drew congratulatory messages from several foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. Morocco maintains support for the One-China policy and has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a position that lent added significance to Xi Jinping's gesture.

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Morocco has been deepening ties across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East through a range of trade, investment and security partnerships, and the visa standoff with Taiwan illustrates the diplomatic balancing act Rabat is navigating as it expands its international relationships.

Saudi Arabia suspends entry from three African nations

Saudi Arabia has imposed entry restrictions on travellers from three African countries over concerns about the Ebola virus.

The affected countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, as the Kingdom has paused entry for travellers from these nations in an attempt to prevent the spread of Ebola.

It has also heightened health screening and disease surveillance for travellers arriving from Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Republic of the Congo.

Source: YEN.com.gh