Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has been in the news recently after the release of his memoir, in which he made claims about drug use. This has sparked reactions from citizens and legal experts in America, with some calling for him to explain how he was able to obtain a visa to enter the United States despite admitting to taking various Class A drugs such as cocaine, magic mushrooms, and cannabis.
The Duke of Sussex, who relocated to California with his wife Meghan Markle and their young family in 2020 after quitting his royal duties, has been advised to be “totally transparent” over his visa application and how he answered the questions or risk becoming a “political pawn.” People applying for a visa to live and work in America have to tick a box to answer “yes” or “no” to the question: “Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?”
US immigration authorities have reportedly not responded to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request filed by leading American think-tank The Heritage Foundation, which is seeking to determine how Harry managed to get his visa. Senior lawyer Samuel Dewey told The Mail on Sunday, “It is in the public interest to know how Prince Harry answered the drug question. If he has been honest and open about his drug use, and there is no reason to believe he has not been, it could well be that he ticked the ‘yes’ box, in which case he would need a waiver to be granted a visa to be admitted into the States.”
Dewey added that this means Harry would have had to be interviewed in person, and someone would have had to grant him a waiver. Therefore, legal experts are asking who granted that waiver, as it is not clear how he was able to obtain a visa despite his admission of drug use.
This controversy has put Harry in a difficult position, as he may be required to provide more information about his drug use in order to clarify how he obtained his visa. It is unclear what kind of consequences he may face if it is discovered that he was dishonest in his visa application.
This situation is also raising questions about the visa application process in the United States and whether it is stringent enough to prevent individuals with a history of drug abuse from entering the country. Legal experts are calling for more transparency in the process and for a closer examination of the criteria for granting visas to foreign nationals.
