The African continent is the hardest hit by the latest U.S. travel ban ordered by President Donald Trump, with seven of the 12 countries barred from entry being African. The new policy, which comes into effect on Monday, blocks nationals from Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan from entering the United States. Also affected are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, and Yemen, while additional visa restrictions apply to Burundi, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, Laos, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These restrictions target specific visa categories, primarily affecting visitor, student, or employment-based travel.
President Trump said in a video statement on X (formerly Twitter) that the move is aimed at preventing individuals who pose national security threats from entering the country. “We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” he declared. He added that the list of countries may be updated based on evolving threats and national security assessments.
The White House explained that the targeted countries fall short in areas such as passport issuance, identity verification, and criminal background checks. For instance, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan were cited as lacking effective governments to manage proper screening procedures, largely due to ongoing internal conflict. The administration also emphasized that Somalia continues to be a base for terrorist activity and groups like al-Shabaab.
In addition, visa overstay rates were cited as a factor in the expanded list. Equatorial Guinea, for example, reportedly has overstay rates as high as 70% for some visa types, while Togo records around 15%. The move has already drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates who argue that the ban disproportionately affects vulnerable nations and undermines humanitarian ties. Critics have also questioned the rationale, noting that Egypt, the home country of a recent terror suspect mentioned by Trump in a separate statement, is not among the listed countries.
So far, Somalia is the only African country to officially respond. Somali Ambassador to the U.S., Dahir Hassan Abdi, released a statement expressing concern but also a willingness to engage with the U.S. on security matters. “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States,” he stated, pledging cooperation to address perceived risks. The travel ban is likely to face legal and diplomatic scrutiny, especially from affected African nations and civil rights groups in the United States.
