Fix traveller vetting in 60 days or face US entry ban: Trump admin's new ultimatum to 36 nations

The Trump administration has issued a stern warning to 36 countries, most of them in Africa, to improve screening and documentation of their citizens or risk being added to the U.S. travel ban list. A diplomatic cable sent over the weekend instructed U.S. embassies to secure commitments by Wednesday from the listed nations to strengthen passport controls and repatriate nationals living in the U.S. illegally.

According to the cable, countries that fail to take action within 60 days could be subjected to visa restrictions similar to those imposed earlier this month on 12 countries, as reported by the Associated Press. Of the 36 countries in question, 25 are located in Africa.

“We’re looking at providing a period of time... where if countries don’t get to that point where we can trust them, they’ve got to change the system,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. “Update it, do whatever they need to do to convince us that we can trust the process.”

Countries named include U.S. allies like Egypt, Djibouti, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Some, such as South Sudan and Syria, are already subject to other visa sanctions or were previously left off the Trump administration’s travel ban list.

The new directive is the latest step in the administration’s effort to crack down on visa overstays and to tie foreign vetting practices to perceived national security threats. While no existing visas have been revoked, the policy would bar future issuances for affected nations.

The 12 countries already facing a ban include Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo (Republic), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, and Haiti. A second tier of heightened scrutiny also applies to citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The administration has not clarified whether countries making progress but falling short of benchmarks will still be penalised after the 60-day window closes.