35 other nations facing the visa ban
Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
The United States government is reportedly preparing to impose travel restrictions on 36 additional countries, including Ethiopia, as part of an expanded effort to tighten immigration and national security controls.
According to a report published by The Washington Post, the administration of former President Donald Trump is seeking to add Ethiopia, Egypt, Djibouti, and 33 other nations to a growing list of countries facing U.S. travel bans. Twenty-five of the proposed additions are African nations.
An internal memo from the U.S. Department of State, allegedly signed by Senator Marco Rubio, outlines that these countries will have 60 days to comply with specific conditions set by the State Department. Failure to meet these requirements could result in either partial or full visa restrictions.
In addition to Ethiopia, the African countries cited in the memo reportedly include Nigeria, South Sudan, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. The expanded list also includes nations from the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Pacific Islands.
If enacted, the measure would bring the total number of countries under U.S. travel restrictions to 48.
Just two weeks earlier, at the beginning of June, the U.S. government implemented a separate ban affecting citizens of 12 countries, including Eritrea. The restrictions were announced through a presidential proclamation signed by former President Trump on June 9, 2025.
“This travel ban is necessary to keep Americans safe from individuals whose identities cannot be properly verified,” Trump said in a video posted to his platform, Truth Social. He referenced a recent attack in Colorado, allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national, as a motivating factor, although Egypt was not among the countries included in the June 9 ban.
The nations subjected to the full ban include: Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Myanmar, and Yemen. The Trump administration has classified these countries as “posing a national security threat.”
In addition to the full ban, the White House stated that seven other countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—will face partial travel restrictions.
“We must stop the flow of people who come on tourist visas and never leave,” Trump added, emphasizing the need to crack down on visa overstays.
However, U.S. officials noted that certain exceptions would apply. According to the White House, individuals such as Iranian refugees fleeing religious or ethnic persecution, a limited number of Afghan nationals, and athletes participating in internationally recognized sporting events may still be eligible to enter the United States under specific waivers.
The proposed expansion of travel bans marks one of the broadest visa restriction efforts in recent U.S. history, with implications across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.
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This will not harm in any way 99.9% of the population since they can’t even afford flight ticket prices let alone to meet the minimum financial assets for a visitors’ visa.
It is clear as day light that the current administration is profoundly racist. The rejection rate at the Ethiopian embassy for a tourist visa has consistently hovered around 90%. Nothing will change, except now it has to be made official. Just to let us know that we are unwanted.