The United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday approved a travel ban that stops citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S.
The decision affects people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
These countries now face full entry restrictions.
The new rule takes effect on June 9, 2025, just after midnight in the U.S., which is 5:01 am in Nigeria.
According to the order, people from these nations will not be allowed into the country under any travel category.
The move is part of Trump’s latest actions to tighten immigration rules in his second term.
In the same order, Trump also listed other countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—for partial travel restrictions.
Citizens from these countries will face more checks and limited visa approvals.
Trump explained that the step was taken to stop individuals who might pose a threat to the country.
He said some of the countries included in the ban have strong terrorist groups operating within their borders.
Others, he said, are unable to keep proper records of their citizens or share useful information that would help in checking criminal history or confirming the identity of those applying for U.S. visas.
He also said there are high numbers of visa overstays among people from the affected nations.
The new policy builds on a security order Trump signed on January 20, which asked top U.S. cabinet members to identify countries that do not meet strict screening and vetting standards.
That move led to the list now being enforced.
This is not the first time Trump is taking such action.
During his first term, he also banned travellers from seven countries, a decision that led to legal battles before it was confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
But after he left office, former President Joe Biden cancelled that earlier travel ban in 2021, saying it was unfair.
