The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering expanding its travel ban to include Nigeria and 35 other countries, most of them in Africa, according to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post. The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlines a 60-day deadline for the listed countries to meet new benchmarks set by the U.S. State Department or face visa restrictions or outright travel bans.
The proposed travel restrictions come amid concerns about the lack of government transparency, unreliable identity verification systems, and high rates of visa overstays by nationals from these countries. The Trump administration cited these issues as reasons for the potential ban, emphasizing efforts to tighten immigration controls and enhance national security.
Among the 36 countries under review, 25 are African nations, including Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The list also includes Caribbean nations such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia, as well as countries from Central Asia and the Pacific Islands like Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The memo notes that some countries lack competent or cooperative central government authorities capable of producing reliable identity or civil documents. Others have experienced widespread government fraud or have large numbers of citizens who have overstayed their visas in the United States. The administration also expressed concerns about the availability of citizenship by investment programs without residency requirements and alleged anti-American activities by nationals from some listed countries.
Countries on the list are required to submit an initial plan of action to the State Department within 60 days to address the new requirements. Failure to comply could result in travel restrictions or bans similar to those imposed earlier in June on nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The expansion of the travel ban represents a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration policy, which has faced criticism and legal challenges in the past. The administration maintains that the measures are necessary to protect U.S. national security and ensure proper vetting of travelers.
The White House and State Department have not commented publicly on the memo or the potential expansion of the travel ban. The affected countries now face pressure to improve their immigration and identity verification systems to maintain access to the United States.
