Nigeria Among 24 Countries Hit by Trump’s US Entry Ban
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump approved expanded entry restrictions on nationals from 24 countries, citing “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that threaten national security and public safety. The new policy, published on the White House website, imposes full suspension on eight countries and partial restrictions on 16 others, affecting immigrants and nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas.
The administration described the restrictions as necessary to “prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose” while enforcing immigration laws and advancing national security objectives. Partial restrictions limit visa validity, require stricter screening, or suspend certain visa categories, while full bans bar most new visa issuances except for diplomats, permanent residents, and exempt categories.
Nigeria faces partial restrictions due to terrorism and insecurity, citing groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic Statethat create challenges for screening and vetting. Overstay rates for Nigerian visa holders are 5.56% for B-1/B-2 visas and 11.9% for F, M, and J visas. Other countries facing full or partial entry suspensions include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Angola, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Laos, Syria, Turkmenistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Tonga, and nationals using Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents.
The fact sheet emphasizes that these measures are aimed at protecting US citizens by addressing gaps in information and vetting systems in the affected countries.
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