George Shadrack Kamanda: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 20 December 2025:
A student holding an offer of admission to a U.S. university is now wondering whether years of preparation still count. By a way of example, a lawful permanent resident is staring at an approved petition, asking why a spouse cannot yet travel.
Families who planned carefully now find themselves suspended in uncertainty. This is the human side of the December 16 U.S. proclamation on entry and visas.
The proclamation has understandably sent shockwaves through many homes. For those affected, it feels abrupt and personal, even though it is legal and systemic in nature. One way or another, we are all touched by it. For that reason, we must not politicize this issue or circulate false narratives.
I am moved to share my humble insight after seeing many posts on my timeline fuelling wrong narratives or politicizing the issue. Let me be clear: Misinformation or using this to score political points will not reopen doors. It will only deepen fear, divide families, and weaken the credibility of the very case that must be made.
There is a tendency, when confronted with difficult external decisions, to react emotionally rather than analytically. That instinct is human, but it does not help. What must citizens do then?
The first error we must avoid is politicization. This issue is already complex enough without being distorted by partisan narratives or misinformation. People should take responsibility for informing themselves properly. Read the proclamation directly on the White House website.
Engage the appropriate desks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for public enquiries. Ask questions. Rely on official sources. Confusion benefits no one except those who trade in fear and half-truths.
It is also important to situate this decision properly. The December 16, 2025 proclamation did not arise in isolation. It follows Executive Order 14161 of 20 January 2025 and Proclamation 10949 of 4 June 2025, which introduced and expanded country specific entry restrictions based on screening, vetting, visa overstay rates, and cooperation on removals.
The current measures reflect a continuation of U.S. immigration policy rather than a sudden departure.
In simple terms, the proclamation issued under sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act does not prevent lawful permanent residents from filing petitions for their spouses. Following up with the above example, lawful permanent residents remain protected.
What it does is temporarily suspend entry for Sierra Leonean nationals who are outside the United States and do not already hold valid visas. Family based immigrant visas are no longer treated as an automatic exception, meaning that even approved petitions may wait unless a narrow, case by case national interest waiver is granted. This is a high bar and it is at the discretion of the United States.
This brings us to the harder conversation, the one we often avoid for various reasons. SOVEREIGNTY MATTERS. No country should accept external decisions simply for their own sake — no matter the wealth differential or global influence. But sovereignty is not asserted through rhetoric alone. Why so? It is earned through governance and systems.
A passport is not merely a travel document. Overstaying one’s visa carries more than individual consequences; in the short term, it benefits the individual, but its long-term consequences are monumental and lasting—one for which Sierra Leone is bearing the brunt today.
Differences in documentation standards and enforcement practices across countries often lead other states to apply heightened caution in entry decisions. This reality highlights the value of sustained cooperation and gradual system strengthening.
Additionally, this moment calls for restraint and reform, not resentment or denial. The United States is acting within its laws. Sierra Leone, like all affected countries, many from Africa are entitled to dignity and diplomacy. The bridge between the two lies in stronger civil registration systems, credible records, functional institutions, and cooperation that is consistent rather than episodic.
It is also important to remember that these measures are reviewed regularly and are not permanent. Improvement changes outcomes. Personal responsibility matters as well. Respect for visa conditions, lawful conduct, and accurate records build national credibility one action at a time.
Immigration policy today for many Western countries including the United States is not only about public trust and confidence in another’s state systems but a cost benefit analysis.
The way forward is quiet diplomacy, institutional reform, and clear communication with citizens on their duties and obligations. This can be done without panic, without politics, and without losing sight of who we are and who we must become.
Let’s do this for the new Sierra Leone we want. It only takes one responsibility at a time.
Be the first to comment