Trump Suspends US Green Card Lottery as Policy Shift Hits Africa Hardest

The suspension of the United States Green Card Lottery has once again shown how global policy decisions can hit Africa the hardest.

For many Africans, the Diversity Visa Programme was one of the few legal and realistic pathways to live and work in the United States. Every year, thousands of people across the continent applied with hope — not because it was easy, but because it was one of the only chances available to ordinary people without wealth, connections or special visas.

The decision to suspend the programme is part of a wider change in U.S. immigration policy under former President Donald Trump, which focused on tighter borders and reduced migration. While the policy is presented as a national security and economic decision, its impact on Africa is impossible to ignore.

African countries have consistently benefited from the Green Card Lottery because legal migration options to the U.S. are already very limited for the continent. Removing this programme closes a door that many families depended on — students, young professionals, skilled workers and those simply seeking a better future.

Across Africa, the announcement has been met with disappointment and frustration. For years, people prepared documents, followed the rules and waited patiently, believing in the promise of legal migration. Now, many feel those hopes have been taken away without alternatives being offered.

This decision also highlights a deeper issue in global migration systems — where mobility is often easier for some regions than others. While Africa continues to contribute talent, labour and ideas to the world, opportunities for legal movement remain unequal.

As Africans, this moment reminds us that our futures are often affected by decisions made far from our borders. It also raises important questions about fairness, global partnerships and whether African voices are truly considered when such policies are shaped.

For now, the suspension leaves many Africans uncertain about their next steps, reinforcing the reality that access to opportunity is still uneven in the global system.