Media reports more African nations facing US visa prohibition
(MENAFN) The United States is reportedly preparing to broaden its controversial visa restrictions to include citizens from 36 more countries—25 of which are in Africa—according to an internal State Department memo cited by The Washington Post over the weekend.
This proposed expansion follows earlier restrictions announced by President Donald Trump, who argued that tighter entry controls are necessary to safeguard national security and address potential threats.
The draft list covers a wide range of African nations, including West African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Senegal; Central African states such as Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Eastern and Southern African nations like Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Even Egypt—a long-standing US ally—is reportedly included.
The list also names several non-African nations, such as Cambodia, Syria, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, and Kyrgyzstan.
Reasons given for the bans include a lack of reliable government institutions to issue secure identity documents, widespread government fraud, and high rates of US visa overstays among nationals of some countries. The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reportedly gives the named governments 60 days to meet new benchmarks set by the State Department.
Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order imposing visa restrictions on 12 countries, including Chad, Libya, and Somalia, citing concerns over terrorism, weak security cooperation, and refusal to repatriate deported citizens. Chad responded by halting visa services for Americans, while neighboring countries expressed interest in resolving the dispute through dialogue.
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