An official document from the U.S. Department of State reveals that President Donald Trump’s administration is considering expanding the travel ban list to include 36 additional countries, 25 of which are in Africa.
The diplomatic memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, states that these countries have been given a 60-day deadline to improve their identity management systems and comply with U.S. security standards, or they may face partial or complete travel restrictions.
The preliminary list includes countries such as Egypt, Syria, Djibouti, Mauritania, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, along with nations in Central Asia and the Caribbean such as Cambodia and Côte d’Ivoire.
The memo highlights concerns over weak official documentation systems in some of these countries, high rates of visa overstays by their citizens in the U.S., and poor cooperation by their governments in accepting deported nationals.
This move comes just days after Trump signed an executive order banning entry from 12 countries, including Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Iran, and imposing partial restrictions on seven others, such as Cuba and Venezuela.
The administration has defended these measures as necessary to “protect national security from threats of terrorism and illegal immigration.”
The decision is expected to draw international criticism, particularly due to its focus on African and Arab nations.
Trump’s previous travel bans during his first term sparked significant controversy and accusations of discrimination before being upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
According to the document, the listed countries must submit initial reform plans in the coming weeks. Some may be exempted from restrictions if sufficient progress is demonstrated. No fixed date has yet been set for implementing the new measures in case of continued non-compliance.
