President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced sweeping new travel measures restricting entry into the United States for nationals of 24 countries, including Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, citing serious concerns over security screening, visa overstays and information-sharing gaps.
The decision, contained in a White House fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” introduces a Trump US entry restriction that places a full suspension on eight countries and a partial suspension on 16 others.
According to the proclamation, the restrictions affect immigrants and non-immigrants seeking entry on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas. The administration said the Trump US entry restriction is aimed at preventing the admission of foreign nationals whose backgrounds cannot be properly assessed due to weak vetting systems in their home countries.
Countries facing full suspension include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Laos, Syria and holders of Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. The White House cited active terrorist threats, armed conflict, high visa overstay rates and refusal to accept deported nationals as key reasons for the decision.
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Under the partial suspension, Nigeria joins Angola, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Tonga. U.S. authorities pointed to terrorism concerns, weak state presence in some regions, citizenship-by-investment schemes and persistent visa overstays.
Specifically on Nigeria, the fact sheet noted that extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates operate in parts of the country, complicating screening and vetting processes, despite relatively lower overstay rates compared to some other affected nations.
Turkmenistan was partially exempted from the new measures, with U.S. officials saying improvements in identity management and information-sharing led to the lifting of non-immigrant visa restrictions, though immigrant entry remains suspended.
The White House stressed that the Trump US entry restriction is necessary to enforce immigration laws and protect U.S. national security, adding that the list could be reviewed if affected countries demonstrate measurable improvements in screening, documentation and cooperation with U.S. authorities.
The announcement has already sparked fresh debate globally, particularly across Africa, where 17 countries are affected, raising concerns about travel, education and business ties with the United States.