17/03/2025
Donald Trump's administration is drafting tighter entry rules to the United States including possible bans on some citizens from 43 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, it has been reported.
Citing unnamed U.S. officials,The New York Times reported that a list had been drawn up of three country categories—red, orange and yellow.
The red list comprises 11 countries whose citizens face a complete ban while the other two lists would face visa restrictions pending reviews, making a total of 43 countries, according to the publication.
Reuters had reported there were 41 countries in the frame for the restrictions.
Newsweekhas contacted the U.S. State Department for comment.
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on March 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on March 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Upon entering the Oval Office on January 20, Trump issued an executive order requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S, to detect national security threats.
The prospect of prohibiting entry to citizens from dozens of countries has echoes of Trump's ban on seven Muslim-majority nations during his first term, which sparked angry responses and legal challenges before being upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court . The ban was revoked by the administration of President Joe Biden .
Trump gave the State Department 60 days to finish a report for the White House on a list of countries which had deficient vetting and screening information of citizens.
The process was led by the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs and assisted by the Justice and Homeland Security Departments and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to theNYT.
Proposed is a "red" list of 11 countries whose citizens would be flatly barred from entering the U.S. Included is Afghanistan, which was not part of Trump's first-term travel bans but fell to the Taliban when the U.S. withdrew its forces in 2021.
Red list
Afghanistan
Bhutan.
Cuba
Iran
Libya
North Korea
Somalia
Sudan
Syria
Venezuela
Yemen
So far, there is an "orange" list of 10 countries whose citizens face restrictions but travel would not be cut off and could include business travelers but not those on immigrant or tourist visas. Visa candidates would require in-person interviews.
These include visitors from Russia although Trump has been trying to reorient U.S. foreign policy in a more Moscow-friendly direction.
Orange list
Belarus
Eritrea
Haiti
Laos
Myanmar
Pakistan
Russia
Sierra Leone
South Sudan
Turkmenistan
On a yellow list are 22 countries which have 60 days to clear up perceived deficiencies and could be relegated to other lists if they do not comply.
Some of the issues these countries must address include failing to share with the United States information about incoming travelers, purportedly inadequate security practices for issuing passports, or the selling of citizenship to people from banned countries.
Yellow list
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Chad
Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo
Dominica
Equatorial Guinea
Gambia
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
SĂŁo TomĂ© and PrĂncipe
Vanuatu
Zimbabwe
The New York Times: "The Trump administration is considering targeting the citizens of as many as 43 countries as part of a new ban on travel to the United States."
TheNYTsaid the lists had been drawn up several weeks ago but would likely be changed by the time it reached the White House pending reviews from security specialists, embassies and State Department regional bureau officials.
Also, under the reported State Department plans, it is not clear if those with existing visas would be exempted from the ban, or if their visas would be canceled. It is also uncertain whether green card holders would be exempt.
