On December 16, President Donald Trump enacted a proclamation that expands and fortifies entry restrictions for nationals from countries cited as having “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies” in their screening, vetting, and information-sharing frameworks, according to various reports.
The administration asserted that these modifications are essential to avert the entry of foreign nationals regarding whom the US “lacks sufficient information to evaluate the risks they may pose, foster cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and pursue other significant foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism aims.”
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As part of the new measures, partial restrictions and entry limitations have been imposed on several African countries including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, and Mauritania. Full restrictions and entry bans now apply to citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Below is the comprehensive list of countries facing partial and full restrictions:
Countries facing partial restrictions
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Tonga
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Countries under full restrictions
Comprehensive entry bans and limitations are now enforced for nationals from these five countries:
- Burkina Faso
- Mali
- Niger
- South Sudan
- Syria
Restrictions maintained on other countries
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Togo
- Venezuela
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The proclamation also maintains complete restrictions originally placed on 12 countries previously deemed “high-risk”, which include:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
The proclamation also imposes full entry restrictions on individuals possessing Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents. It notes that several “US-designated terrorist groups operate actively in the West Bank or Gaza Strip and have killed American citizens,” and that the ongoing conflict in these regions has likely affected vetting and screening processes. The document states: “Given the minimal or non-existent control exercised over these areas by the PA (Palestinian Authority), individuals seeking to travel on PA-issued or endorsed documents cannot currently undergo appropriate vetting and approval for entry into the United States.”
The document further emphasized that the presence of terrorists, criminal organizations, and extremist activities in numerous listed countries adds to instability and weak governmental authority, posing direct risks to US citizens and interests.
Despite the expanded ban, exceptions are made for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, specific visa categories like diplomats and athletes, and individuals “whose entry benefits US national interests”.
