Trump’s Latest Travel Ban Targets Africa: 7 of 12 Countries Named
The return of Donald Trump’s travel ban has landed hardest on Africa, with seven of the 12 blacklisted countries hailing from the continent.
In an executive order signed on Wednesday, the U.S. president imposed a full travel ban on nationals from Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen — with Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan making up the African bloc.
“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” the order stated.
The ban is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. local time on Monday, June 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (04:01 GMT). Visas issued before that date will remain valid, according to the order.
The crackdown also imposes heightened restrictions on another seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela — four of which are also African.
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In a video message from the White House, Trump linked the decision to a recent violent incident. “The recent attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado had underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted.”
He further said, “We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America,” and emphasized: “very simply, we cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States.”
“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.”
The new ban draws sharp echoes of Trump’s 2017 “Muslim ban,” which similarly targeted several African and Muslim-majority nations and was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Once again, African nations find themselves bearing the brunt of America’s hardline border policy.
