Niger has become the latest African nation to retaliate against its inclusion on the Trump administration’s travel ban list, which prohibits or restricts targeted nationals from entering the United States.
According to Agence de Presse Africaine (African Press Agency), also known as APAnews, Niger has permanently banned the approval of new visas for Americans. The outlet shared that, in a statement, a “diplomatic source” disclosed that Niger’s ban on Americans will stand for the foreseeable future.
The source said, “Niger is completely and permanently prohibiting the issuance of visas to all U.S. citizens and indefinitely banning entry to its territory for nationals of the United States.”
Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa bordering Algeria, Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali. The country’s population is estimated to be over 28 million, and the main languages spoken by its predominantly Muslim citizens are Hausa and French. On December 16, the Trump administration disclosed that Niger was one of several countries, along with the Palestinian Authority, that it had added to the list of those with “complete” travel bans. The other targeted places, in addition to Niger and areas under the Palestinian Authority, are Syria, South Sudan, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Notably, Sierra Leone and Laos — previously targeted by the Trump administration — were also placed on the “full” travel ban list.
The U.S. State Department currently classifies Niger as a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” zone. It says travelers should avoid visiting the African nation “for any reason, due to crime, unrest, terrorism, health, and kidnapping” concerns. In the Trump administration’s travel ban announcement shared earlier this month, officials additionally claimed that Nigerien nationals have a visa overstay rate as high as 16.46%.
In June of this year, the Trump administration established complete travel bans on nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. At the time, the U.S. government also placed heightened restrictions on arrivals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Are There Other Countries That Have Called For Visa Bans Or Restrictions Against Americans?
Following the June travel ban announcement, Chad’s President, Idriss Déby, said that the country in north-central Africa would suspend issuing visas to U.S. citizens.
On Facebook, the Chadian leader said, “I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and to suspend the granting of visas to citizens of the United States of America. Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride.”
What Else Is There To Know?
The Trump administration’s latest round of travel bans goes into effect January 1, 2026. The recently expanded list also included partially restricting travel into the U.S. for nationals of 15 additional countries. Those places are Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Tonga.
