The United States government is weighing whether to impose new visa restrictions on citizens of 36 countries, including Ghana, under an expanded travel ban policy reportedly under consideration by the Trump administration.
According to an internal State Department memo reviewed by The Washington Post, the countries listed, 25 of them in Africa, have been given a 60-day window to meet new security and documentation benchmarks or face partial or full entry restrictions. The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was distributed to U.S. diplomatic posts on Saturday, setting a deadline for the listed countries to submit an initial plan by 8 a.m. Wednesday.
If enacted, the proposal would represent a major escalation of the travel restrictions reinstated by President Trump at the start of his second term. It follows the June 4 proclamation that fully banned travelers from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Libya, and Iran, while imposing partial restrictions on eight others.
In addition to Ghana, other countries facing scrutiny include Egypt, Djibouti, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Liberia, and Zimbabwe. Nations in Central Asia, the Caribbean, and several Pacific islands are also named. Some of these are considered close partners of the U.S.
The memo outlines a range of concerns for the potential restrictions, such as failure to produce reliable civil documents, lack of cooperation with U.S. immigration enforcement, and a high rate of visa overstays. Some countries were flagged for enabling citizenship through monetary investment without requiring residency. There were also vague mentions of “antisemitic and anti-American activity” by individuals from certain nations.
The document notes that if a country shows willingness to repatriate its nationals removed from the U.S., or agrees to a “safe third country” asylum deal, some of the restrictions might be waived.
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the memo, citing internal deliberations, and the White House has yet to respond publicly to the report.
Critics have condemned the move as a continuation of what they describe as xenophobic policies. They point to the Trump administration’s earlier efforts to restrict immigration from Muslim-majority nations and the disproportionately high number of African and Caribbean countries targeted.
The Biden administration had revoked earlier travel bans in 2021, calling them discriminatory. However, President Trump made it a campaign promise to reinstate and expand them if re-elected, saying they would be “bigger than before.”
On Inauguration Day this year, Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. agencies to identify countries with insufficient vetting and screening standards that could justify barring their nationals.
The 36 countries currently 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, and Zimbabwe.
The U.S. government has not clarified when restrictions would be implemented if the countries fail to meet the stated criteria. For now, governments on the list are expected to engage U.S. diplomats and prepare compliance plans within the prescribed timeframe.
This report is based on an article originally published by The Washington Post.
