Trump Moves to Ban Half of Africa from US in New Visa Restrictions
The Trump administration has expanded its visa restrictions as it targets more African countries, in what could see half of the continent banned from entering America.
The move is expected to deepen diplomatic tensions and disrupt family, business and educational ties with the United States.
The latest directive, issued under the administration’s continuing effort to tighten immigration controls, targets countries it claims fail to meet US security and information-sharing standards.
Officials said the expanded ban will affect permanent residency applications, while allowing some non-immigrant visas for business, tourism or study on a case-by-case basis.
“The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days,” said the cable sent out over the weekend said.
Some of the new countries are targeted in the new list include Sudan, Egypt, Uganda and Eritrea, joining others like Nigeria, Libya, Chad, and Somalia already subjected to earlier rounds of visa bans.
The visa restrictions come on the back of an initial travel ban announced in 2017, which originally targeted Muslim-majority countries, including Libya and Somalia.
That policy was later expanded and upheld by the US Supreme Court, despite global condemnation and protests from rights organisations.
Since coming into office, President Donald Trump has made immigration a centrepiece of his administration, introducing a series of controversial policies that have disproportionately affected African nationals. These include increased vetting of visa applicants, mandatory review of social media histories, the slashing of refugee admissions, and the termination of the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programme for Liberians.
Critics argue that the bans have been rooted in a discriminatory worldview, citing past remarks by Trump reportedly referring to African nations in derogatory terms.
African governments, while largely muted in their response, have struggled to secure exemptions despite diplomatic overtures.
Analysts warn that the new restrictions could hurt African economies that rely on remittances from the diaspora and diminish the flow of skilled migrants, students and investors who see the US as a preferred destination.
The administration has defended the move as a matter of national security, insisting that the affected countries failed to meet identity-management and information-sharing requirements laid out by the Department of Homeland Security.
ligadwah@businessdayafrica org