Kenyan Official Claims Rejection of Taiwan Passports; Ministry of Foreign Affairs States No Cases Received

(CNA, Taipei, July 1) Kenyan media reported that a Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated that holders of Taiwanese passports would be denied entry. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated today that MOFA has not received any reports of citizens being denied entry, and that the official's remarks might be an inappropriate restriction concerning the Taiwanese delegation's attendance at the "Our Ocean Conference."

The Kenyan media outlet The Kenyan Times reported on June 17 that a Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated that travelers with Taiwanese passports would be denied entry to Kenya due to a lack of proper travel documents and would not be permitted to participate in official meetings convened by the Kenyan government.

MOFA responded to CNA's inquiry this afternoon, stating that on June 14, Taiwanese representatives were invited by the host country, the Kenyan government, to attend the "11th Our Ocean Conference" (OOC 11) in Mombasa. However, they were denied entry passes by the organizers on the grounds that Taiwan passports were not recognized. Despite strong negotiations by the Taiwanese side, they were ultimately forced to withdraw their participation. MOFA issued a statement on June 16, expressing strong protest and condemnation of China's unreasonable pressure and barbaric actions against the Kenyan government.

MOFA explained that following the aforementioned suppression incident, Taiwanese citizens traveling to the area recently applied for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) according to current regulations and entered with a Taiwanese passport valid for more than 6 months. Currently, MOFA has not received any reports of citizens being denied entry.

MOFA pointed out that the Kenyan media's quoting of the official's remarks might be an inappropriate restriction concerning Taiwanese individuals traveling to Kenya to participate in "official meetings" hosted by the Kenyan government.

MOFA emphasized that it will continue to monitor subsequent changes in the Kenyan government's relevant regulations. If necessary, it will express grave concern to the Kenyan government and negotiate fully to protect the travel rights and interests of its citizens. In light of the Kenyan government's unfriendly actions towards Taiwan, it also urges the public to pay attention to personal safety when traveling to the area and to assess the necessity of such travel. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150701)

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