Audio By Carbonatix
The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of an additional 36 countries in what would be a significant expansion of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration early this month, according to a State Department memo reviewed by The Washington Post.
Among the new list of countries that could face visa bans or other restrictions are 25 African nations, including significant U.S. partners such as Egypt and Djibouti, plus countries in the Caribbean, Central Asia and several Pacific Island nations.
A State Department spokesperson said the agency would not comment on internal deliberations or communications. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Such a move would mark another escalation in the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigration.
The memo, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent Saturday to U.S. diplomats who work with the countries, said the governments of listed nations were being given 60 days to meet new benchmarks and requirements established by the State Department. It set a deadline of 8 a.m. Wednesday for them to provide an initial action plan for meeting the requirements.
The memo identified varied benchmarks that, in the administration’s estimation, these countries were failing to meet. Some countries had “no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents,” or they suffered from “widespread government fraud.” Others had large numbers of citizens who overstayed their visas in the United States, the memo said.
Other reasons included the availability of citizenship by monetary investment without a requirement of residency and claims of “antisemitic and anti-American activity in the United States” by people from those countries. The memo also stated that if a country was willing to accept third-country nationals who were removed from the United States or enter a “safe third country” agreement, it could mitigate other concerns.
It was not immediately clear when the proposed travel restrictions would be enforced if the demands were not met.
The countries facing scrutiny in the memo: Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Bhutan; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Ethiopia; Egypt; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Ivory Coast; Kyrgyzstan; Liberia; Malawi; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; South Sudan; Syria; Tanzania; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.
The list represents a significant expansion of a presidential proclamation issued June 4, when the United States fully restricted the entry of individuals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The United States also had partially restricted the entry of travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela under that order.
Latest Stories
-
Police swoop in Kintampo nabs 13 in drug bust, seizes cannabis and tramadol
9 minutes -
Activist urges stronger border security, environmental protection, and accountability
18 minutes -
Let’s be more intentional about our unity than they were about our division – Mahama
24 minutes -
Former Jasikan MCE quits as Bryan Acheampong’s coordinator; declares support for Bawumia
25 minutes -
2025 Diaspora Summit: Ablakwa calls for concrete action on reparations
32 minutes -
Police crack down on drug trafficking in Tamale, arrest 4 and seize illicit substances
45 minutes -
Egg-citing deals as The Multimedia Group’s X’mas Egg Market sells out on Day 1, returns tomorrow
1 hour -
NPP Primaries: Electoral Area Coordinators in Yunyoo, Chereponi and Saboba declare support for Bawumia
2 hours -
Revocation of L.I. 2462 step in the right direction – Lands Ministry Spokesperson
3 hours -
Afeku urges creation of world-class hospitality training school in Volta Region
3 hours -
Ghana’s unemployment rate eases slightly to 13.0% in 2025 third quarter
3 hours -
Climate change forcing migration as Farm Radio engages stakeholders on solutions
3 hours -
Financial knowledge secures the future – NIB to Police Ladies
3 hours -
Afeku calls for major tourism investment in Volta Region to drive jobs and growth
3 hours -
BoG to engage more agencies to clamp down on unlicensed financial institutions
3 hours
