White House Weighs Adding 36 Countries to US Travel Ban
Photo source: Daniel Torok © The White House
The Trump administration is considering an expansion of America’s travel ban to – most of them in Africa – according to a leaked State Department memo obtained by Agence France-Presse and confirmed by The Washington Post.
If enacted, the expansion would mark the largest tightening of U.S. entry rules in nearly a decade.
The White House , primarily in Africa and the Middle East – among them Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Nationals of , including Cuba and Venezuela, . Those measures took effect on June 9, with President Trump citing the need to “protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national‑security threats”.
The draft directive, signed by Secretary of State , would give the new group of countries or face full or partial bans. appear on the provisional list, alongside dozens of sub‑Saharan states.
Archive photo of passport control at US airport. Photo source: Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
A State Department spokesperson declined to discuss “internal deliberations” but said Washington “regularly reviews its policies to ensure the safety of the American people”. Administration officials argue that many targeted governments . Limited waivers would remain for holders of specific visas and trips deemed in the U.S. “national interest”.
If the order is signed, – about 18 percent of the global population – would live in countries subject to U.S. travel bans or heavy visa curbs. Civil‑liberties groups likened the move to Trump’s 2017 executive order that initially barred citizens of several Muslim‑majority nations and drew legal challenges.
Business leaders warn the broader ban could and from emerging markets already on Washington’s watchlist. But .
The administration has not indicated when a final decision might be announced.
Countries reportedly named in the memo
Photo source: Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
According to the leaked State Department document, the following countries may face new U.S. travel restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
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