The Donald Trump administration has officially imposed sweeping travel restrictions on Nigerian nationals, citing national security threats and difficulties in vetting travelers.
The new policy, which takes effect on January 1, bars Nigerians from entering the United States as immigrants (green card holders) or on various nonimmigrant visas, including business, tourism, academic, and exchange program categories (B-1, B-2, F, M, and J).
The White House formalized the ban in a proclamation on Tuesday, stating:“The entry into the United States of nationals of Nigeria as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.”
U.S. officials pointed to the presence of extremist groups and a high rate of visa overstays as the primary drivers for the decision.
The proclamation detailed the security challenges:“Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
In addition to security concerns, the administration highlighted data regarding Nigerians who fail to leave the U.S. after their visas expire:“According to the Overstay Report, Nigeria had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 11.90 percent.”
The administration has also moved to limit the duration of other visa types not covered by the ban, noting that consular officers have been instructed to “reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Nigeria to the extent permitted by law.”
These measures follow the U.S. designating Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ due to allegations of religious persecution.
While the Nigerian government has pushed back, calling the security situation “more complex,” high-level diplomatic talks are ongoing. Recently, U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills and Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar met to discuss areas of “mutual concern.”
Restrictions on Other Nations
Nigeria is one of 15 countries newly added to this restricted list, joining nations that had already been placed under partial restrictions in June. The newly restricted countries include:
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Angola
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Antigua and Barbuda
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Benin
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Cote d’Ivoire
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Dominica
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Gabon
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The Gambia
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Malawi
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Mauritania
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Nigeria
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Senegal
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Tanzania
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Tonga
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Zambia
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Zimbabwe
The administration defended the move as a strategic necessity:“The restrictions and limitations imposed by this proclamation are necessary: to garner cooperation from foreign governments, including as to reducing overstay rates of their nationals; enforce our immigration laws; and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.”
While the ban is broad, certain exemptions apply to lawful permanent residents, diplomats, and participants in major athletic events.
However, for the average traveler from these nations, the U.S. door is effectively closing starting in the new year.
Total travel ban
In addition to the partial restrictions on Nigeria and other nations, the U.S. government has enforced a “total travel ban” on Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Syria, and Sudan.
Authorities justified this absolute suspension by citing a problematic record of “fraudulent or unreliable civil documents, criminal records, and widespread corruption” within these nations.
The administration further explained that these countries suffer from a “general lack of stability and government control,” a situation that makes it nearly impossible for U.S. officials to properly verify the background or security risk of travelers.
The White House proclamation emphasized that these measures are critical for national safety:“The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.”
The ban also extends specifically to “Palestine Authority passport holders.”
The U.S. pointed to the two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the “presence of the Hamas group in Palestinian population centers,” as the primary reasons for this restriction.
This latest move builds on a massive expansion of travel policies. In June, President Donald Trump “imposed a travel ban on 12 countries and travel restrictions on seven others.”
At that time, the nations facing an “outright ban” included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Furthermore, countries identified for “heightened restrictions” in the earlier June order were Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The U.S. maintains that these bans are a vital tool to “protect the country against foreign terrorists and other security threats.”
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