Trump's Travel Ban Expanded: New Restrictions on Five Countries

Wed Dec 17 2025 14:31:05 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

President Trump has announced the expansion of the U.S. travel ban, affecting nationals from five new countries and several others. The new measures will take effect on January 1, 2026.

President Donald Trump has expanded the U.S. travel ban to include nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, in addition to individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents. The White House aims to enhance national security by implementing these restrictions, citing issues such as high visa overstay rates and inadequate cooperation from affected countries. The expanded ban follows previous efforts to tighten U.S. immigration policy, raising concerns among advocacy groups and legal experts.

President Donald Trump has expanded a US travel ban, barring nationals of five additional countries and people traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents from entering the US.

The White House said the restrictions were intended to protect the security of the United States and will come into force on 1 January.

Full-entry restrictions will be imposed on people from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders.

The administration also moved Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial restrictions, to the full ban list and implemented partial restrictions on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Trump, who has tightened immigration controls since returning to the White House in January, stated that the expanded travel ban was necessary due to failures in screening and vetting systems overseas. High visa overstay rates, unreliable civil records, corruption, terrorist activities, and a lack of cooperation in accepting deported nationals were cited as concerns.

This announcement follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard troops over the Thanksgiving weekend, which the White House highlighted as indicative of ongoing security threats.

This is the third time Trump has imposed a travel ban. A similar order introduced during his first term in 2017 sparked protests and legal challenges, but the policy was ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court.

The White House stated that the restrictions would remain in place until the affected countries demonstrate credible improvements in identity management and cooperation with US immigration authorities.

Exceptions to the ban will apply, including for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, diplomats, and athletes traveling for major sporting events, with case-by-case waivers available for travel deemed to be in the national interest.

Countries with full restrictions: