President Donald Trump has imposed full entry bans on citizens of Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan
US President Donald Trump has imposed a travel ban on nationals from seven African countries – Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. He cited alleged terrorism risks and high rates of visa overstays in explaining his decision, effective on June 9.
The move was announced in an executive order published on Wednesday as part of broader immigration policy reform that targeted 12 countries; the seven African states and Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, and Yemen.
Burundi, Sierra Leone and Togo are also among seven other countries hit with partial restrictions under the directive, limiting entry through specific visa categories. The others are Cuba, Laos, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
“The restrictions… imposed by this proclamation are necessary to garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,” Trump stated.
Trump has claimed that Libya and Somalia attract recruits for terrorist groups that pose a threat to US national security. The other countries face restrictions due to either “unacceptable” visa overstay rates or the absence of a “competent” authority for passport issuance and proper security vetting.
“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” Trump said, adding that he remains committed to engaging with countries willing to cooperate and resolve the identified concerns.
Somali Ambassador to the US, Dahir Hassan Abdi, said in a statement cited by Reuters that Mogadishu “values its longstanding relationship” with Washington and “stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised.”
Trump previously imposed entry bans on several Muslim-majority and African countries during his first term, in 2017 and 2020. Those measures drew widespread legal and diplomatic criticism but were ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden reversed the bans shortly after taking office in 2021, calling them discriminatory.
On Wednesday, Trump accused the Biden administration of pursuing “open door policies” that, he claimed, have allowed millions of undocumented immigrants to remain in the US unlawfully.
In a video message published by the White House, Trump said a recent attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, had “underscored the extreme dangers” posed to the US “by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted.”
