By Editor
The United States is considering a significant expansion of its travel ban policy, with Nigeria and 35 other countries potentially facing severe visa restrictions. According to a State Department memo, these nations have been given a 60-day deadline to meet specific benchmarks or risk being added to the list.
The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, cites deficiencies in identity document issuance, government fraud, and high numbers of visa overstays as reasons for the potential restrictions. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is among the countries under scrutiny. If implemented, the move would impact thousands of Nigerians seeking entry into the US for education, business, or family reunification.
The memo also raises concerns about countries offering citizenship by investment with minimal residency requirements and “antisemitic and anti-American activity” in the US by individuals from some of the countries. Countries that are willing to accept third-country nationals deported from the US or enter into a “safe third country” agreement may alleviate some concerns.
The 36 nations under review include: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia,Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu. Zambia. Zimbabwe
Critics have slammed the expansion as discriminatory, with some describing the Trump administration’s efforts to issue blanket travel bans as xenophobic and bigoted. President Trump has previously pledged to reinstate the travel ban policy, saying his new version would be “bigger than before.”
The State Department has declined to comment on the deliberations, and the White House has yet to issue an official response. The potential expansion of the travel ban policy has sparked concerns about its impact on international relations, economic opportunities, and family reunification.
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