U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded the list of countries subject to a full travel ban, barring citizens from an additional seven countries — including Syria — from entering the United States.
In a statement, the White House said Trump signed a proclamation to “expand and strengthen entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing,” citing national security and public safety concerns.
Under the new measures, citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, as well as individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents, are now fully barred from entering the U.S. Laos and Sierra Leone, previously subject to partial restrictions, have also been upgraded to a full ban. The expanded restrictions will take effect on January 1.
The move comes despite Trump’s earlier pledge to support Syria’s recovery following landmark talks in November with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who was until recently sanctioned by Washington. Trump had publicly backed Sharaa, who rose to power after overthrowing longtime leader Bashar al-Assad and has since sought to portray himself as a moderate leader aiming to reunify the country and end its international isolation.
However, Trump struck a tougher tone over the weekend, vowing “very serious retaliation” after the U.S. military reported that two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a suspected Islamic State attacker. Trump described the incident as a “terrible” attack.
The White House said Syria’s high visa overstay rates and weak administrative systems were key reasons for the ban. It cited the country’s lack of a reliable central authority to issue passports and civil documents, as well as inadequate screening and vetting measures.
Trump had previously signed a proclamation in June banning entry from 12 countries and imposing partial restrictions on seven others, measures that remain in place. He has since added partial entry limitations on 15 more countries, including Nigeria, which has faced scrutiny from the administration over the treatment of Christians. Nigeria has rejected claims of persecution, saying they oversimplify a complex security situation.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major cities and turning away asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. The latest expansion of entry restrictions follows last month’s fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., which investigators said was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under a resettlement programme criticised by Trump officials for insufficient vetting.
Days after the incident, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from what he described as “Third World countries,” though he did not specify which nations or define the term.
