The United States has announced a full entry ban on Palestinian passport holders and citizens of seven countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Laos, and Syria.
A statement from Washington said the decision was taken due to “serious and persistent deficiencies” in screening, verification, and information-sharing that posed threats to national and public security.
The ban will take effect on January 1, 2026. It follows a move in late November when the US halted all immigration-related processes for citizens of 19 countries. On December 4, the US Secretary of Homeland Security confirmed plans to expand the list to at least 32 nations, though the names of 13 additional countries were not disclosed at that time.
The announcement comes shortly after the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, where 15 Jewish people were killed. Analysts noted that measures against Palestinians were not unexpected in the wake of that attack. However, restrictions on Syrian citizens raised eyebrows, as Syrian President Ahmed Shara had recently met with President Trump at the White House. Previous sanctions against him were lifted ahead of that visit.
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