Potential Expansion of US Travel Ban Could Impact Nearly 1.5 billion People

The United States is reportedly considering extending its travel restrictions to 36 countries, which could dramatically increase the scope of entry bans to nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide.

This potential expansion follows an earlier decision by the State Department to restrict entry from 12 nations including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Iran and to impose a partial ban on travelers from seven other countries. That measure, announced earlier this month, revived a controversial policy from President Donald Trump’s first term.

According to a review of an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post and confirmed by a source to AFP, the proposed list includes countries from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Lucia, South Sudan, Syria, and Vanuatu. The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent to diplomats, gives these nations 60 days to meet new requirements set by the State Department.

If the full list is implemented, nearly one in five people globally about 1.47 billion would live in countries affected by US travel restrictions.

The State Department declined to confirm the memo, stating it does not comment on internal deliberations. However, it emphasized that the U.S. “is constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws.”

The initial restrictions were justified by concerns over threats such as recent terrorist attacks. For example, the Colorado synagogue shooting in December was linked to Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national who overstayed a tourist visa and applied for asylum in September 2022, according to court documents. President Trump had cited this attack as a reason for the initial ban, and the proposed list now includes Egypt among the targeted countries.