United States President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of expanding the U.S travel ban list to include Nigeria and a number of other nations, primarily from Africa.
According to a memo obtained by The Washington Post and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as many as 36 countries could be newly affected by the visa restrictions if President Trump signs off on the proposal.
The justification given by the administration is rooted in national security concerns, particularly regarding countries that lack sufficient governmental transparency or reliable systems to screen travelers.
The memo cited challenges such as the absence of robust databases to verify individuals’ backgrounds, an issue that has raised red flags for U.S immigration authorities.
Among the African nations reportedly under consideration are Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The list also includes countries beyond Africa, such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
According to U.S. authorities, the nations mentioned face several issues, including lacking competent central government authorities capable of issuing reliable identity and civil documentation.
Additionally, some of these countries were said to be plagued by “widespread government fraud,” and a number have citizens with high rates of U.S. visa overstays.
The internal directive reportedly instructs affected countries to submit an initial compliance plan to the State Department by the coming Wednesday.
Governments will then have a 60-day window to meet the outlined benchmarks and avoid potential sanctions.
“The governments of listed nations were being given 60 days to meet new benchmarks and requirements established by the State Department,” the memo stated.
This latest move follows a similar travel ban enacted earlier in June, which affected 12 other countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Once again, the bulk of the countries on the expanded list come from Africa, sparking renewed criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Of the 36 nations identified, 25 are African, notably including U.S strategic allies on the continent like Egypt and Djibouti.
