SEE LIST: Trump Mulls Travel Ban Against 22 African Countries, Others
United States President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a travel ban that would target nearly half of the African nations, as well as several other countries. The move, part of an internal draft proposal, could restrict citizens from certain nations from entering the U.S.
The proposal, developed by diplomatic and security officials, includes a “red list” of 11 countries whose citizens would be outright banned from entering the United States. These countries are: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The majority of the countries on the list are African, totaling 22 nations. Sources familiar with the discussions, who spoke anonymously, noted that this draft list was created several weeks ago by the U.S. State Department and could undergo changes before reaching the White House for approval.
The New York Times obtained a document outlining the internal deliberations, which listed nations whose citizens would face travel restrictions. The draft also proposed an “orange list,” consisting of 10 countries where travel would be restricted, but not completely banned. Citizens from these nations—Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan—would still be allowed to enter under certain conditions, such as mandatory in-person visa interviews. However, affluent business travelers might still gain entry, while tourists and immigrants would face more restrictions.
In Trump’s first-term travel bans, several countries from the red and orange lists were previously sanctioned, but the current proposal includes many new nations. Many of these countries share certain characteristics, such as being Muslim-majority, non-white, economically poor, and having weak or corrupt governments.
In addition to the red and orange lists, the draft included a “yellow list,” which consists of 22 countries. These nations would be given 60 days to address perceived deficiencies, with the threat of being moved onto one of the more restrictive lists if they fail to comply.
The 22 countries on the yellow list are:
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Chad
- Republic of Congo
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Dominica
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gambia
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Vanuatu
- Zimbabwe
This proposal, if implemented, would significantly impact immigration policies and international relations with these countries, as well as potentially exacerbate tensions around U.S. foreign policy towards Africa and other regions.