Trump Considers Travel Ban on Dozens of Countries, Excluding Major African Economies

United States President Donald Trump is reportedly considering imposing a travel ban on nationals from dozens of countries as part of his ongoing immigration crackdown, a move that could impact a wide range of nations globally.

According to a report from Reuters on Saturday, which cited an internal memo and sources familiar with the matter, the proposed travel restrictions would categorize countries into three groups: red, orange, and yellow.

The memo’s “red group” includes 11 countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Cuba, Bhutan, Venezuela, North Korea, Yemen, and Somalia. Nationals from these countries would face a complete ban from entering the U.S.

In the “orange group,” which consists of 10 countries, visa issuance would be sharply restricted. These countries include Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Pakistan, Laos, Turkmenistan, Haiti, and Eritrea.

The “yellow group” includes 22 countries, which have been given 60 days to address specific concerns related to security and other issues. These countries are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.

Notably, some of Africa’s largest economies, such as Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, and Egypt, have not been included in the list.

While the New York Times first reported on the travel ban proposal, a U.S. official clarified to Reuters that the list could still undergo changes and has not yet received final approval from the administration. The proposal would need to be signed off by key officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

This travel ban proposal is part of Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, which he initiated at the start of his second term in January.