(Reuters) -Mali has announced it will require U.S. nationals to post bonds of up to $10,000 for business and tourist visas, after the Trump administration said the West African nation would be added to its visa bond programme.
The U.S. embassy in Mali said on Friday it will require bonds of up to $10,000 for tourist and business visas under the pilot programme effective October 23.
The funds will be returned to travellers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas, according to a U.S.
government notice.
In a statement on Sunday, Mali's foreign ministry said the government "deplores the unilateral decision by the U.S. government", adding that it undermines an earlier bilateral agreement on long-stay multiple-entry visas.
"In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, Mali has decided to introduce an identical visa program, imposing the same conditions and requirements on U.S. nationals as those applied to Malian citizens," the statement said.
U.S. State Department figures for the period 2015-2024 show that fewer than 3,000 non-immigrant U.S. visas are issued to Malians each year. Figures for the number of visas issued by Mali to U.S. citizens were not immediately available.
President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the U.S. illegally.
The State Department said in August that visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi will be required to pay bonds up to $15,000. Zambia's government voiced concern about the "unnecessary financial strain" this would cause.
(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo and Fadimata KontaoWriting by Anait MiridzhanianEditing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Frances Kerry)
