ISLAMABAD: U.S. President Donald Trump has expanded the United States’ travel restrictions to include nationals from 12 countries, in what is being described as one of the most extensive immigration crackdowns in recent years.
The proclamation, signed on Wednesday, aims to tighten border controls and enhance national security by targeting countries deemed to pose terrorism or identity verification risks.
Effective from June 9, 2025, the directive fully bans entry for nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Additionally, seven other countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—will face partial restrictions, limiting specific categories of travel or visas.
National Security and Vetting Concerns
President Trump emphasized that the ban is essential for preventing potential security threats. In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), he declared, “We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.”
The administration cited several reasons for imposing the ban, including high visa overstay rates, lack of cooperation in sharing identity and security data, and failure to maintain reliable criminal records.
Trump referenced a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado—where an Egyptian man with an expired visa threw a gasoline bomb into a pro-Israel crowd—as a justification for tightening entry protocols, even though Egypt itself was not on the banned list.
The president warned that the travel ban list may be updated to include more countries in the future.
Global Reaction and Diplomatic Tensions
The decision has sparked varied international responses. Somalia expressed willingness to engage in dialogue, emphasizing its commitment to cooperation with the U.S. In contrast, Venezuela’s government denounced the policy as fascist, warning its citizens about the growing risks of staying in the United States.
Critics argue the move echoes Trump’s earlier 2017 travel ban, which was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. That ban, which targeted several Muslim-majority countries, was reversed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Trump’s current directive represents a return to his hardline immigration approach from his first term.
While the ban does not revoke visas issued before June 9, it is expected to complicate travel and migration plans for thousands, including Afghans awaiting U.S. resettlement in Islamabad. International responses from Myanmar, Laos, and Afghanistan have so far remained muted, with officials either declining to comment or not responding to inquiries.
