IN a sweeping immigration crackdown reminiscent of his first term, President Donald Trump is poised to implement travel restrictions affecting 43 countries worldwide, with African nations bearing a disproportionate burden of the ban. The policy, detailed in a confidential memo obtained by the New York Times, gives affected countries just 60 days to address unspecified “deficiencies” or face continued restrictions.
The proposed travel ban categorises countries into three tiers of restriction, with African nations prominently featured across all levels. Somalia, Sudan, and Libya face the most severe measures with complete visa suspensions, while Eritrea, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan would see their visas “sharply restricted.”
Perhaps most concerning is the extensive list of African countries given a 60-day ultimatum to address unnamed concerns or face partial travel bans. This group includes Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Zimbabwe.
“This represents not just a travel restriction but potentially a devastating economic blow to nations already struggling with development challenges,” said a former finance minister from the region who spoke on condition of anonymity. “When you cut off business travel, student exchanges, and family reunification, you’re effectively isolating entire economies.”
The proposed travel restrictions come at a particularly challenging time for many African nations still reeling from Trump’s earlier termination of critical aid programs. In February, the administration slashed funding for numerous health and social initiatives across Africa, citing “America First” priorities.
In countries like Malawi and Zimbabwe, US-funded programs had been pivotal in fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and maternal mortality. The Democratic Republic of Congo, already managing multiple humanitarian crises, had relied on American assistance for basic healthcare infrastructure in rural regions.
“We’re facing a perfect storm,” explained a leading health worker Antoinette Mwangi, who does community health network in Eastern Africa. “First, the funding that supported our vaccine programs and healthcare worker training disappeared. Now, our doctors and nurses who might travel for additional training or international medical conferences face these arbitrary travel restrictions.”
The memo indicates the State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is still reviewing the proposal. However, diplomatic channels are already buzzing with concern. Several African ambassadors in Washington have requested emergency consultations, according to diplomatic sources.
The criteria for placing countries on these restrictive lists remains obscure, raising questions about the metrics used to determine “deficiencies” and how nations might address them within the tight 60-day window.
“If you’re going to tell a sovereign nation it has deficiencies to correct, you should be transparent about what those are and provide reasonable pathways to resolution,” said former US Ambassador to the African Union Robert Jackson. “Otherwise, this looks less like policy and more like punishment.”
As African leaders prepare responses to this latest challenge from the Trump administration, millions of ordinary citizens across the continent face uncertainty about their ability to visit family members, pursue educational opportunities, or conduct business in the United States—continuing a pattern of exclusion that many had hoped would not return.
