Remobilisation into Sub-Saharan Africa

After months of lockdown restrictions, travel bans and international mobility coming to a complete stop, many Sub-Saharan African countries like Namibia, Kenya, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire are beginning to re-open their borders and prepare for the arrival of foreign nationals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given us a renewed look at the way immigration processes are being managed in Africa. This will generate some thought by governments across the continent and will bring about much needed changes in the way Sub-Saharan countries and relevant immigration authorities will embrace this “new norm.” We anticipate that more online resources and methods will be used to apply and obtain visas and that stringent health checks will be implemented. This, of course, will not occur overnight, however we are certain that this thought process has already begun.

As heads of state make decisions about the re-opening of their borders, employers and companies should also start thinking about how these decisions will impact their respective strategies and approaches to international workforce and company remobilisation plans.

New regulations

Business continuity, compliance with new immigration regulations, heath screening and additional immigration administrative processes are just a few aspects that have become the centre of the evolution of the immigration landscape during COVID-19. Thus, it is of utmost importance that companies and employers review and align their approaches to immigration to these new guidelines and regulations to remobilise their workforce.

A strong remobilisation plan is key to ensure work readiness and avoid delays and further financial losses when getting employees to various locations.

At Fragomen we have already started assisting a number of companies and guiding them through this process by auditing and reviewing their mobilisation plans to ensure compliance, confirming that their plans are fit for their purposes and continuously providing updates on current and ongoing changes to each country’s immigration regulations.

We have a remobilisation guide for employers to assist them with planning travel in and out of Sub-Saharan Africa. It gives insight into the processes, health screening requirements and immigration regulations of countries in the region. To obtain a free copy of this guide, please click here.

Should you wish to discuss any mobility or immigration related matters for Sub-Saharan Africa, please reach out to Stacey Isaacs by emailing [email protected] or contact your Fragomen immigration professional.

This blog was released on 15 September 2020, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please visit our  COVID-19 microsite, subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn.