Washington: In a sweeping move aimed at what the White House describes as protecting national stability, US President Donald Trump has announced a fresh expansion of travel restrictions, barring citizens from seven additional countries including war-torn Syria from entering the United States. The order also extends a complete entry ban on individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
According to an official statement from the White House, the decision is intended to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who may pose a threat to the United States or seek to undermine its culture, institutions, governance, or founding principles. The announcement follows recent violence in Syria that claimed the lives of two US soldiers and a civilian, an incident that officials say underscored existing security concerns.
Under the new directive, nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria will face a total prohibition on entry into the US. In addition, Laos and Sierra Leone previously subject to partial restrictions have now been moved to the category of countries facing a full travel ban.
The order, set to come into force on January 1, also explicitly blocks holders of Palestinian Authority-issued passports from traveling to the United States. The administration argued that ongoing conflict conditions in the West Bank and Gaza, along with the presence of terrorist groups, make it impossible to reliably screen such travelers under current circumstances.
Alongside the full bans, the Trump administration has announced partial travel restrictions on citizens of several other nations, particularly across Africa and the Caribbean. Countries such as Nigeria and a number of Caribbean states are expected to face tighter entry controls, though not a complete suspension of travel.
This latest move builds on earlier measures already in place. Somalia had previously been added to the list of restricted nations. Countries currently facing a comprehensive US travel ban include Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, and Yemen. Meanwhile, partial entry restrictions apply to a broader group, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The expansion of the travel ban is expected to trigger renewed debate both within the US and internationally, with critics likely to question its humanitarian and diplomatic implications, while the administration maintains that the measures are essential for safeguarding national security.