The United States government is considering a sweeping expansion of its travel ban to include 36 additional countries, among them Nigeria, in what would mark a significant escalation of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policy.
According to The Washington Post, which cited a State Department memo, the proposed list includes 25 African countries—representing roughly 70 percent of the total—alongside nations in the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Pacific. Notably, key U.S. partners such as Egypt and Djibouti are among those named.
The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and circulated to U.S. diplomats on Thursday, outlined a 60-day timeline for the listed countries to meet newly established benchmarks.
These benchmarks are aimed at tightening security and immigration controls and include criteria such as the ability to issue reliable identity documents and cooperate in immigration matters.
Countries were given until 8 a.m. Wednesday to submit initial action plans detailing how they intend to comply with the outlined requirements. Failure to do so could result in full or partial visa restrictions for their nationals.
Citing various concerns, the memo alleged that some nations lacked competent civil authorities capable of issuing valid identity documents, while others were plagued by widespread government fraud.
Additional reasons included high numbers of visa overstays by citizens in the U.S., the sale of citizenship without residency obligations, and allegations of antisemitic or anti-American activity among individuals from the countries.
The document further noted that countries willing to accept third-country nationals deported from the U.S., or those ready to enter into “safe third country” agreements, could be considered for waivers or reduced sanctions.
The proposed list of countries under scrutiny includes:
Africa: Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Other Regions: Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, Cambodia, Djibouti, Dominica, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Syria, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
This proposed expansion follows a presidential proclamation signed on June 4, which fully barred entry from countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Partial restrictions were also imposed on travellers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Critics of the travel ban, including Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups, have denounced the policy as discriminatory and xenophobic.
They highlight the administration's past efforts to bar entry from Muslim-majority countries and the disproportionate number of African and Caribbean nations included in the new proposals.
Trump’s initial travel ban, issued early in his presidency, triggered global backlash and widespread confusion at airports. While it faced multiple legal challenges, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a revised version of the ban in June 2018.
The ban was officially rescinded by President Joe Biden, but Trump has consistently vowed to reinstate and expand it if re-elected.
On Inauguration Day, his administration issued an executive order directing U.S. agencies to evaluate countries with inadequate vetting and screening procedures for possible entry restrictions.
The timeline for enforcing the new set of proposed travel restrictions remains unclear, as the State Department has declined to comment on internal deliberations. The White House has also not issued a formal response to the developments.