US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the expansion of the country’s travel ban, adding seven more nations, including Syria, to the list of countries whose citizens are prohibited from entering the United States.
According to a White House statement, Trump signed a proclamation “expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” to protect national security and public safety.
The expanded ban affects citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, and holders of Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. It also imposes a full ban on Laos and Sierra Leone, which had previously faced only partial restrictions. The ban is set to take effect on January 1.
The announcement comes despite Trump’s earlier promise to support Syria’s reconstruction following landmark talks in November with Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda commander who until recently was sanctioned by the US as a foreign terrorist.
Al Sharaa has sought to portray himself as a moderate leader working to unify Syria and end its international isolation.
Trump also reacted strongly to a recent attack in Syria, in which two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed by a suspected Daesh attacker targeting a US-Syrian convoy.
Trump described the incident as a “terrible” attack and vowed “very serious retaliation” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The White House justified the ban by citing high visa overstay rates for Syria and the country’s ongoing challenges in issuing passports and civil documents, as well as inadequate screening and vetting measures.
“Syria is emerging from prolonged civil unrest and internal strife,” the statement read. “While the country is working with the US to address security challenges, it still lacks an adequate central authority for issuing passports or civil documents.”
US adds more nations to partial restrictions list
Trump signed a proclamation in June banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting those from seven others, saying it was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats.
The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travellers.
The travel ban remains on those twelve countries, the White House said.
Trump also added partial restrictions and entry limitations on an additional 15 countries, including Nigeria, which is under scrutiny from Trump, who, in early November, threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.
Nigeria says claims that Christians face persecution misrepresent a complex security situation and do not take into account efforts to safeguard religious freedom.
Since returning to the office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritised immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.
The expansion of the countries subject to entry restrictions marks a further escalation of immigration measures the administration has taken since the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last month.
Investigators say the shooting was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through a resettlement program under which Trump administration officials have argued there was insufficient vetting.
Days after the shooting, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries,” although he did not identify any by name or define the term.
