The United States has added Nigeria and 14 other countries to its travel restrictions list, citing security concerns and deficiencies in screening and information sharing that, according to Washington, pose risks to its national security and public safety.
President Donald Trump signed the proclamation on Tuesday, further limiting entry into the US for nationals of countries described as high risk due to what the White House called “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing.” Nigeria is among the countries newly placed under partial travel restrictions.
The decision was announced in a fact sheet published on the White House website titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” issued on December 16, 2025. The White House said the move was part of efforts to strengthen national security through what it described as common sense, data driven measures.
According to the proclamation, the US will continue to enforce full entry restrictions on nationals of 12 countries previously listed as high risk. These are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition, full restrictions have now been imposed on five more countries, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are also affected. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions, have now been moved to the full restriction category.
Nigeria is listed among 15 countries placed under partial travel restrictions. Others in this category include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela remain under partial restrictions.
The White House explained that the restrictions are country specific and designed to reflect what it called the unique circumstances of each nation. It noted challenges such as widespread corruption, unreliable or fraudulent civil and criminal records, weak birth registration systems, and the refusal by some governments to share passport samples or law enforcement data needed for proper vetting.
The fact sheet also cited high visa overstay rates, failure to repatriate deportable nationals, and the presence of terrorist, criminal, or extremist activities in several of the affected countries as part of the justification for the decision.
President Trump was quoted as saying, “It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.”
The White House added that the decision followed consultations with cabinet officials and security assessments conducted under Executive Order 14161, Proclamation 10949, and other country specific evaluations. It stated that the restrictions were necessary “to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose.”
Despite the restrictions, the proclamation provides for exceptions. Lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, diplomats, athletes, and certain other visa categories are exempted. The White House also said entries that serve US national interests would still be considered, while case by case waivers remain possible. However, family based immigrant visa categories identified as carrying fraud risks have been narrowed.
The development comes weeks after Trump, on October 31, declared Nigeria a country of particular concern over allegations of religious persecution, especially against Christians.
The White House described the new proclamation as part of the President’s broader national security agenda, stating that it aligns with a previous Supreme Court ruling which upheld similar travel restrictions as being within presidential authority and based on legitimate security objectives.
The fact sheet also noted that Turkmenistan, which was previously under restrictions, had shown improved cooperation with US authorities. As a result, the ban on its nonimmigrant visas has been lifted, although restrictions on immigrant entry for Turkmen nationals remain in place.
