Trump administration expands travel ban to 20 more countries

US President Donald Trump has announced new travel restrictions on citizens of 20 additional countries, with the policy set to take effect from January 1.

Under the expanded measures, students, family members of US citizens, and holders of Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) from the affected countries will also fall under the scope of the restrictions.

According to US media reports, the new ban includes travelers from Syria, South Sudan, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, as well as individuals whose travel documents are issued by the Palestinian Authority.

Several countries will face partial travel restrictions, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Earlier,  President Trump had already imposed travel bans on citizens of 12 countries, including Afghanistan. Following a shooting incident involving an Afghan national and the National Guard outside the White House, Trump had also signaled a broader move to halt migration from what he described as “third-world countries.”

With the latest announcement, the total number of countries affected by US travel restrictions has risen to 35. The Trump administration is also reportedly considering imposing similar bans on citizens of 15 more countries, most of them in Africa.

A White House spokesperson said the measures are aimed at preventing the entry of foreign nationals deemed to pose security or stability risks to the United States.