Donald Trump is poised to impose a travel ban on individuals from 41 countries, with many being informed that their government has a 60-day window to rectify deficiencies or remain on the list. A memo reveals a division of nations into three distinct groups, including full visa suspensions and partial suspensions.
Many of these countries are located in the Middle East and Africa, with Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, and North Korea among the ten facing the most severe measures. In the second group, five countries would face partial suspensions affecting tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, albeit with some exceptions.
Meanwhile, a third group comprises 26 countries that could face a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments ‘do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days’, according to the memo. However, a US official warned that changes to the list could occur and it has yet to receive approval from the administration, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, following its report by the New York Times.
For many Americans, this policy will evoke memories of Trump’s controversial ban on travellers from seven majority-Muslim nations during his first term. On January 20, Trump issued an executive order demanding enhanced security vetting for any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to identify national security threats.
This order instructed several cabinet members to submit a list of countries from which travel should be partially or fully suspended by March 21.
The reason given was that their ‘vetting and screening information is so deficient. ‘ This directive from Trump forms part of an immigration crackdown he initiated at the start of his second term.
In an October 2023 speech, he outlined his plan to restrict individuals from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and ‘anywhere else that threatens our security. ‘ The State Department has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
The list of countries that could be banned in full:
Full visa suspension:
- Afghanistan
- Cuba
- Iran
- Libya
- North Korea
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Partial visa suspension (tourist, student and some other visas affected):
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Laos
- Myanmar
- South Sudan
Countries recommended for a partial suspension if they do not address deficiencies:
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Belarus
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominica
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gambia
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Pakistan
- Republic of the Congo
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Sierra Leone
- East Timor
- Turkmenistan
- Vanuatu