The Consular Newsletter (July 21-27, 2025)
This week, Germany accepts Taliban for consular duties, while Indian police arrest man accused of running fake embassy of Westarctica.
Every Monday, the Consular Newsletter updates consular officials, diplomats, migration lawyers, researchers, and travel industry professionals with the latest major news on consular affairs and diplomatic networks. Keep informed!
Contents: A. Announcements. B. Video of the week. C. Consular affairs. D. The diplomatic and consular networks database and rankings. E. Passports, visas, and migration fraud. F. Perspectives. G. Get daily news. H. Support consular research. I. Thanks.
A. Announcements
If you are a media professional and would like to help keep The Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings up to date, please feel free to contact the Center.
You are welcome to submit new writings for The Consular Magazine.
If you would like to partner with the Center, please feel free to get in touch.
B. Video of the week
C. Consular affairs
Americas
An immigration lawyer asked ICE for help. She said they gave her the number for Taco Bell. Cincinnati Enquirer
Don’t ask why you weren’t granted a visa afterward: new warning from the U.S. Embassy. Dominican Today
How Mexican consulate staff struggle to defend migrants in the US while living on the brink of poverty themselves. El País
JD Vance issues H1-B visa warning. Newsweek
State Department announces investigation into Harvard's use of international visas. NBC News
Trump’s immigration audit blitz piles paperwork on to US companies. Financial Times
Venezuelan baseball team denied visas into US, Little League International says. The Associated Press
Who is Natanael Cano? Mexican rapper banned from US over ‘shocking’ visa fraud. Financial Express
You shouldn’t have to make your social media public to get a visa. Electronic Frontier Foundation
Asia
Harshvardhan Jain: the fake ‘Diplomat’ who ran ‘embassy’ in Ghaziabad and his controversial past. The Hindu
Indian and Chinese travelers hail end of visa freeze between world’s two most populous nations as diplomatic tensions thaw. CNN Travel
Man posed as an ambassador and ran a fake embassy, Indian police say. The Associated Press
Middle East
Israel refuses to renew visa for senior UN official over alleged anti-Israel slant. The Times of Israel
Oceania and Pacific Islands
Thousands apply to relocate as island nation of Tuvalu races against rising seas. The Weather Channel
Multiple continents
Afghan Consulate staff in Bonn threaten resignation if Taliban diplomats are accepted. Afghanistan International
CM assures action on Goans detained in US for visa violations; CMO to approach consulate. The Goan
Consular clash. Courthouse News Service
Germany to accept two Taliban representatives for consular duties. The Khaama Press News Agency
I gave up my US passport and changed my name – all for my love of basketball and Korea. Business Insider
Nigerians decry wasting $200,000 investment as U.S., EU crack down on Caribbean countries selling golden passports. Peoples Gazette
Retailleau returns to the fray: visa review and asset freeze for Algerian citizens residing in France. Atalayar
UK expats in Pattaya urged to hook up with British Embassy in Bangkok for critical information updates. Thai Examiner
Africa and Europe
Stay tuned for next week's newsletter.
D. The diplomatic and consular networks database and rankings
Bulgarian envoy takes up post in North Korea after embassy reopening. NK News
Ukraine to open four embassies and over 10 consular offices by end of year. Ukrainian Pravda
Are you aware of any recent openings or closures of embassies, high commissions, consular posts, or permanent missions? We invite users to participate in keeping the database current by sharing updates and corrections via the platform: https://arcg.is/1TDPiy1
E. Passport, visas, and migration fraud
Ambassador to 'Westarctica'? Indian police arrest man over fake embassy scam. Euronews
Arrested Westarctica 'ambassador' tied to ₹3 billion fraud. Gulf News
Chandrakant ‘Lala’ Patel pleads not guilty in federal immigration fraud scheme. KALB
Colorado’s AG sues deputy, saying he illegally shared information with immigration agents. The Associated Press
Fake Ghaziabad embassy: ‘Westarctica diplomat' visited 40 countries, had 12 'diplomatic' passports, says repor. Hindustan Times
Louisiana Police officials and business owner indicted in U-Visa fraud case. Law Commentary
UK sanctions Balkan gangs after passport fraud reveal. OCCRP
Visa scam complaints soar as UK ETA rules are used by fraudsters. Dutch News
F. Perspectives
This selection highlights a number of posts published this week to help readers discover diverse perspectives; the views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the position of the Consular Affairs Center.
American Embassy, Dublin, Ireland. July 1997 (by Spearman Burke).
China secretly executed four Canadians. I could have been one of them (by The Walrus).
Huckabee angry at Israel over Christian visa process (by Etienne de la Boetie2).
It's just a passport cover... except it's not (by Change my mind).
Racism, visa free travel to Kenya & speed does the dhaanto ( by Faisal Ali and Mahbub M Abdillahi).
Renewing my Italian passport in Dublin (by Paola Bassanese).
Trans, nonbinary passport protections remain in effect, judge rules (by Chris Geidner).
Visa Panic, Solved 🛂 (by Tern).
G. Get daily news
Consular affairs via Bluesky, Facebook, KakaoTalk, Line, LinkedIn, Substack, Telegram, Threads, Viber, VK, WhatsApp, and X.
The diplomatic and consular networks database and rankings via LinkedIn.
Passports, visas, and migration fraud via LinkedIn.
H. Support consular research
Support is possible via a donation. Your generosity helps a lot. Thank you very much.
I. Thanks
Partner: Yonsei University.
We are grateful to the news sources that contributed to bringing you this week's highlights. The content and views expressed are those of the authors alone and do not reflect the position of their affiliated institutions or the Consular Affairs Center.
Hey, thanks so much for sharing my post. That was kind of you.
Thank you for featuring my post about renewing an Italian passport.