… As Trump expands security ban
ABUJA — Nigeria has been listed among 20 countries placed under partial entry restrictions into the United States following a fresh proclamation by President Donald Trump expanding travel measures on national security grounds.
The decision, contained in a White House fact sheet released by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, cited persistent deficiencies in screening, vetting and information-sharing systems in the affected countries, which Washington said pose risks to U.S. national security and public safety.
Under the new measures, Nigeria joins Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe on the partial restriction list.
According to the document, many of the affected countries are challenged by widespread corruption, unreliable or fraudulent civil and criminal records, and weak or non-existent birth registration systems, which “systemically prevent accurate vetting” of travellers.
The proclamation, titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” said the restrictions were based on data and designed to strengthen U.S. security through what it described as “common-sense” measures.
It added that high visa overstay rates and the refusal of some countries to repatriate removable nationals also contributed to the decision, placing additional burdens on U.S. immigration enforcement.
While Nigeria and others face partial restrictions, the proclamation maintained full entry bans on nationals of 12 countries earlier listed under Proclamation 10949, Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Five additional countries, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, were newly placed under full restrictions, while holders of travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, Laos and Sierra Leone were upgraded from partial to full restrictions.
The U.S. government also pointed to terrorist presence, criminal activity and extremist threats in some of the listed countries as factors undermining effective vetting and government control.
However, the fact sheet clarified that the proclamation provides exemptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, diplomats, athletes and individuals whose entry is considered to be in the interest of the United States.
