U.S. Considers Expanding Travel Ban to 36 Additional Countries, Including Key Allies: Report

The United States is reportedly considering adding citizens from 36 more countries to its travel ban list, in what would mark a major expansion of the restrictions announced earlier this month by the Trump administration, The Washington Post reported.

According to a State Department memo accessed by the newspaper, the proposed list includes several key U.S. allies, including Egypt and Djibouti. The move would significantly widen the scope of the administration’s controversial immigration and national security policy.

Why These Countries Are Being Considered

The memo states that many of the countries under review fail to meet essential requirements, such as:

• Lacking a competent and cooperative central government to issue reliable identity documents

• Having a high rate of visa overstays by their citizens in the U.S.

However, the document also notes that if a country agrees to accept third-country nationals being deported from the United States, it could help address some of these concerns and potentially avert restrictions.

Countries at Risk of New Travel Bans

Africa (25 nations):

Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Caribbean (4 nations):

Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia

Asia (4 nations):

Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Syria

Oceania (3 nations):

Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Deadline to Respond

These 36 countries have until 8 a.m. on Wednesday to submit an initial plan to the State Department detailing how they intend to meet the updated requirements to avoid travel or visa restrictions.