Barely a week after enacting a travel ban on seven African countries, the Trump-led U.S. administration is reportedly considering a broader visa restriction targeting Nigeria and 35 other countries, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.
The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was sent to American diplomats stationed in the affected nations on Saturday. It outlines the administration’s intent to review and potentially implement additional visa bans and travel restrictions against countries deemed non-compliant with U.S. immigration and security protocols.
Among the 36 countries under review, 25 are African, including major regional players like Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Others listed are Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The memo also names 11 non-African countries that could face similar restrictions. These include Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, Cambodia, Dominica, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Syria, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The State Department justified the proposed measures by alleging that several countries listed either lack a competent or cooperative central government capable of providing reliable identity documents or have many nationals who overstay or violate visa terms in the United States.
However, the memo includes a key provision: countries willing to accept third-country nationals being deported from the U.S. may be spared from the harsher restrictions.
The proposal comes amid heightened immigration enforcement and national security measures under the Trump administration, further escalating diplomatic tensions with affected nations. If implemented, the visa restrictions could impact travel, trade, and diplomatic relations between the U.S. and a significant portion of Africa and other regions.
The countries on the new list are also expected to submit an initial plan of action to meet the new requirements to the State Department on Wednesday.
