People in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK seeking to travel to Niger must process their entry documents in Ankara, Moscow, or Geneva

Niger has restricted the issuance of entry visas at its embassies in European countries, including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, describing the decision as a measure of "reciprocity," local media reported on Tuesday, citing an official memo.

Under the new rule, citizens of the affected states must now process their visa applications at Niger's embassies in Russia, Switzerland, and Trkiye.

According to the outlet Air Info, Nigerien Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare stated in an internal memo dated August 20 that the country's nationals have faced "difficulties" in obtaining entry visas to Europe since the military coup in Niamey in July 2023.

The minister said citizens of the West African state have been forced to travel to neighboring countries for visa procedures, while a request for European embassies in Niamey to issue them locally has gone unanswered.

"Henceforth, the embassies of Niger in Geneva, Ankara, and Moscow are the only ones authorized to issue entry visas to Niger for nationals of ... Italy, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Belgium, the United Kingdom," AFP quoted Sangare's note as saying.

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The Nigerien embassy in Brussels is, however, "authorized to issue visas for applicants holding diplomatic and service passports," he added, urging strict compliance with the measures and their immediate enforcement.

The French embassy in Niamey had been responsible for processing Schengen visas for Nigeriens until the 2023 coup, after which ties between France and Niger worsened, leading to the expulsion of the ambassador of the former colonial power.

Niger and its Sahel allies Burkina Faso and Mali, also under military rule, have accused Paris of aggression and taken measures against France, including severing defense cooperation.

In December 2023, Niamey withdrew from two major security pacts with the European Union and revoked the "privileges and immunities" previously granted to forces under those agreements.

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On Tuesday, the African Press Agency reported that Niger's foreign minister had described the latest travel measures as part of reforms to regulate migration and safeguard national interests amid rising diplomatic tensions.