The countries were added to Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban list earlier this month
advertisement
Two countries have announced retaliatory measures after being included on Donald Trump’s expanding US travel ban list.
Trump has continued to tighten border rules around who is allowed to enter the United States, and earlier this month he confirmed that additional countries would face full or partial travel restrictions.
The latest update brought the total number of affected nations to 39, with visa access now limited or completely blocked for citizens from a wide range of countries.
Under the policy, nationals from countries facing full travel bans are subject to strict visa restrictions. These countries include Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
In addition to the full bans, partial travel restrictions will also apply to citizens from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
According to US officials, these new measures are set to take effect tomorrow, January 1, 2026.
Explaining the reasoning behind the expanded restrictions, the White House said: "It is the president's duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people."
President Trump announced a series of new travel bans earlier this month
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
advertisement
In response to being added to the list, both Mali and Burkina Faso have now announced that they will block US citizens from entering their countries.
In a statement shared by The Guardian, Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens."
Burkina Faso echoed a similar position, with Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré confirming to BBC News that the move was based on the “principle of reciprocity.”
Mali has brought in the same restrictions on US citizens
Getty Stock Images
Mali and Burkina Faso now join Niger, which recently introduced its own restrictions on American travelers.
According to the Nigerian Press Agency (ANP), Niger has announced a permanent ban on issuing visas to US citizens and has indefinitely barred Americans from entering the country.
A diplomatic source told the ANP, via APA News: "Niger is completely and permanently prohibiting the issuance of visas to all US citizens and indefinitely banning entry to its territory for nationals of the United States."
Earlier this year, Chad also took similar action, announcing in June that it would suspend visa issuance to US nationals after being included on an earlier travel ban affecting citizens from 12 countries.