The African Union (AU) has finally expressed concerns over a new travel ban imposed by the U.S. government under the leadership of Donald Trump following a prolonged period of silence. Ten of the 19 countries affected are African countries, including seven whose citizens have been banned from traveling to the U.S.In its statement, the AU lamented “the potential negative impact of such measures on people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and the broader diplomatic relat
The African Union (AU) has finally expressed concerns over a new travel ban imposed by the U.S. government under the leadership of Donald Trump following a prolonged period of silence. Ten of the 19 countries affected are African countries, including seven whose citizens have been banned from traveling to the U.S.
In its statement, the AU lamented “the potential negative impact of such measures on people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and the broader diplomatic relations that have been carefully nurtured over decades.” The commission also called on the U.S. government to engage in a constructive dialogue with the affected African countries; however, that appeal may fall on deaf ears considering Trump’s stance on immigration and general attitude towards Africa.
The order prevents citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. entirely, while those from nine countries are subject to heightened visa scrutiny and entry restrictions. Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Somalia, and Chad are the six African countries with outright bans on immigrants.
Trump’s order statement alleges visa overstay rates from these countries, inadequate passport systems, and disregard for U.S. immigration laws. Chad was implicated for having “one of the highest overstay rates,” with nearly 50 percent of tourists and 55 percent of students alleged to be offenders. In return, Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby has announced the suspension of visa issuances to U.S. citizens “in accordance with the principles of reciprocity.”
Somalia and Libya were also included on the ban list for facing ongoing terrorism threats, while Eritrea is accused of refusing to accept deportees.
Intending travelers from Togo, Burundi, and Sierra Leone will face heightened visa screening and restrictions, with visa overstays cited as the main reason for these countries’ inclusion on the list. Laos, Cuba, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are also on the restricted list, while an outright ban extends to Haiti, Iran, Afghanistan, and several other countries.
Several exceptions have been made, such as competing athletes, as the U.S. is set to host next year’s soccer World Cup, and Los Angeles will be the host for the 2028 Olympics. Exceptions also apply to Green card holders, dual citizens, those granted asylum, and individuals from banned countries who are applying for visas through family members who are American citizens.
The number of affected African countries is lower than the initially speculated 22 African countries that could be affected, based on an initial draft list from earlier this year. However, some countries not on this ban list are already being affected by the Trump administration’s antagonizing stance towards immigrants from Africa and the global south.
In April, the U.S. government announced that it had revoked the visas of all South Sudaneseimmigrants, saying its government was unwilling to accept its deported citizens, despite the U.S. not being certain of the nationality of the person deported. The Department of Homeland Security also said it would not renew the temporary protected status (TPS) of nearly 8,000 Cameroonians who came to the U.S. as asylum seekers.
When U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in April that President Donald Trump's administration had revoked visas for all South Sudanese citizens, citing South Sudan’s failure to accept deportees “in a timely manner,” it sounded like South Sudan was being punished for refusing to cooperate. But the reality was far more ridiculous and unfair.The problem centered on a single passenger: a man on a U.S. deportation flight whom South Sudan refused to accept because he was Congolese, not Sout
When U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in April that President Donald Trump's administration had revoked visas for all South Sudanese citizens, citing South Sudan’s failure to accept deportees “in a timely manner,” it sounded like South Sudan was being punished for refusing to cooperate.
But the reality was far more ridiculous and unfair.
The problem centered on a single passenger: a man on a U.S. deportation flight whom South Sudan refused to accept because he was Congolese, not South Sudanese. Yet America didn’t care.
Across social media, South Sudanese described it as American bullying. South Sudan’s Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, told the media that the U.S. was “attempting to find faults with the tense situation” in the country.
“No sovereign nation would accept foreign deportees,” he said.
This is just one example of how Trump’s second-term “America First” agenda has hurt Africa, with little pushback from leaders. Since returning to office, he has frozen billions of dollars in aid, ended Power Africa, and imposed new tariffs that threaten African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade and jobs across the continent. His policies are also threatening African students studying in the U.S.
Even South Africa, already punished after Trump suspended aid and controversially offered asylum to white Afrikaners, stood alone as it expelled the U.S. ambassador. There is no solidarity from neighbors. No AU statement.
Some may see America stepping back as a push toward self-reliance or simply wish to avoid Washington’s ire. And the African Union may still be adjusting under new leadership. The newly elected AU Commission Chairperson and commissioners took office in March.
But history shows the AU can speak up. In 2017, then-AU Commission Chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zumacondemned Trump’s travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.
“The very country to which many of our people were taken as slaves during the transatlantic slave trade has now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries,” she told the AU summit in Addis Ababa. “What do we do about this? Indeed, this is one of the greatest challenges to our unity and solidarity.”
Today, the challenge remains, but unity and solidarity seem missing.
If Africa’s institutions won’t stand up for their citizens, who will?