Global Backlash: Countries CANCEL All Visas for Americans
Niger and Chad permanently suspend visas for US citizens, escalating tensions. Discover why these African nations took this unprecedented action.
Drawing inspiration from the travel ban implemented during his first term in the White House, Donald Trump extended restrictions to 20 more countries on December 16, including the Palestinian Authority. This brought the total number of countries facing complete bans or restrictions on entry to the United States from various parts of the world to 39.
Mali, South Sudan, Niger, Burkina Faso, Syria, and the Palestinian Authority were added to the list of countries whose citizens are completely barred from entering the United States under rules first implemented in June.
Meanwhile, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were added to the list of countries facing restrictions on student and business visas; this list was implemented by Trump in June 2025 and previously included Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
"Complete and permanent suspension of visa issuance to all US citizens"
As their countries were added to the ban, several diplomats and heads of state condemned the move. Antigua's Prime Minister Gaston Browne issued a statement saying the Caribbean nation's government was "deeply disappointed," as the rationale citing lax regulations for citizenship-by-investment programs "does not reflect the current reality of our laws."
Two weeks after the ban's expansion, the West African nation of Niger took the strongest retaliatory measure, permanently suspending the issuance of new visas to US citizens until the situation changes.
Related: Trump now wants to ban travel from 25% of the world's countries
A government representative told the Associated Press,"Niger is completely and permanently suspending the issuance of visas to all American citizens and indefinitely banning the entry of United States citizens into its territory."
A landlocked country bordered by Algeria, Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Mali, and Burkina Faso, Niger is a Muslim-majority nation with a population of just over 25 million. In the document announcing the travel ban, the White House cited the country's 13.41% visa overstay rate for business visas and 16.46% for student visas, as well as the fact that "terrorists and their supporters are actively planning kidnappings."
Software Services
 |
Start your own gaming platform for just $3,000 |
Earlier this year, another African country also revoked all visas for Americans.
While a history of war, political instability, and coups means that travel to Niger from Western countries is already very low (the U.S. State Department has had it at a "Do Not Travel" advisory level for years), this latest move by its government puts significant strain on relations.
When the first version of the travel ban was introduced, the government of Chad took a similar step. In response to being included, the Central African country retaliated by saying it would ban all new visas for U.S. citizens and suspend those already being processed.
"I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and to suspend the issuance of visas to citizens of the United States of America," Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby wrote in a Facebook post announcing the decision on June 5.
Thank you for reading this content.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
