The Trump administration has expanded its US travel ban, adding Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria to the list of countries facing a full restriction.
The decision, announced in Washington, also places partial travel limits on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Tanzania, while travel on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority has been fully restricted.
The latest move doubles the number of countries affected by travel measures first unveiled earlier this year and is scheduled to take effect on January 1. The restrictions cover both visitors and prospective immigrants, although exemptions remain for lawful US residents, existing visa holders, diplomats, athletes and individuals whose entry is deemed to be in the national interest.
US officials say the expansion is driven by national security concerns, pointing to unreliable civil documentation, high visa overstay rates, corruption and instability in some of the affected countries, alongside broader immigration enforcement challenges.
