Trump Expands US Travel Ban to Seven More Countries, Palestinian Passport Holders

By : Mweru Mbugua 

US President Donald Trump has significantly expanded a sweeping travel ban, barring entry into the United States for citizens of seven additional countries, including Syria, as well as holders of Palestinian Authority passports

The latest directive brings the number of countries facing travel restrictions to nearly 40, with affected nationals barred from entering the US largely on the basis of nationality

The move also tightens rules for routine travel from some Western nations

In a proclamation issued by the White House, the administration said the ban targets foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans or those believed to “undermine or destabilize” US culture, institutions, or founding principles

Syrians were added to the list days after two US troops and a civilian were killed in Syria

While Trump has recently sought to rehabilitate Syria diplomatically following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, the White House cited security concerns

Syrian authorities said the alleged attacker was a member of the security forces facing dismissal over “extremist Islamist ideas”

The administration has also formally extended restrictions to Palestinian Authority passport holders, a move that had previously been enforced informally

This comes amid US opposition to the recognition of a Palestinian state by countries such as France and Britain, and in continued solidarity with Israel

Several of the newly blacklisted countries are among Africa’s poorest, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan, alongside Laos in Southeast Asia

Trump additionally imposed partial travel restrictions on citizens of other countries, including Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal

The latter two are set to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico

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While the administration has pledged to admit athletes for the tournament, it has not extended similar assurances to fans

Other nations facing partial restrictions include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as Tonga in the Pacific

Humanitarian groups have criticised the policy. Global Refuge, a Christian-based organisation supporting refugees, warned the ban would endanger vulnerable populations

Its president, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, said the administration was using security rhetoric to justify “blanket exclusions” rather than evidence-based screening

The travel ban expansion comes as Trump intensifies his anti-immigration stance, ordering mass deportations and using increasingly inflammatory language about migrants

The president has previously barred entry from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Yemen

The White House noted “significant progress” by Turkmenistan, whose citizens will now be eligible for non-immigrant US visas

Meanwhile, refugee admissions have been sharply curtailed, with the US largely limiting acceptance to South Africans from the white Afrikaner minority

The policy marks one of the most far-reaching immigration crackdowns of Trump’s presidency, reigniting global criticism and debate over US border and refugee policies