HARARE – Zimbabwe finds itself among 36 nations whose citizens could face a ban from travelling to the United States, according to a report in the Washington Post. The potential restrictions stem from concerns over alleged identity documentation fraud and visa violations.
A memo, signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was dispatched to United States diplomats on Saturday, outlining that the listed countries have a 60-day window to comply with new regulations set forth by the State Department.
The State Department has indicated that some of the countries have failed to meet specific standards. These include situations where there is “no competent or cooperative central government authority” capable of issuing trusted identity documents, and instances where “a large number of citizens who have violated the terms of their visas.”
The memo also suggests that a country’s willingness to accept the return of third-country nationals being deported from the US could help alleviate some of the concerns.
According to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters, US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States.
Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats.
The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from U.S. universities and deport others.
The cable was first reported by the Washington Post.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action.
“The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days,” the cable sent out over the weekend said.
Among the concerns the State Department raised was the lack of a competent or cooperative government by some of the countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said.
Another was “questionable security” of that country’s passport.
Some countries, the cable said, were not cooperative in facilitating the removal of its nationals from the United States who were ordered to be removed. Some countries were overstaying the U.S. visas their citizens were being granted.
Other reasons for concern were the nationals of the country were involved in acts of terrorism in the United States, or antisemitic and anti-American activity.
The cable noted that not all of these concerns pertained to every country listed.
The countries potentially facing visa limits, travel bans, or other measures, include 25 in Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Caribbean countries on the list are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.
Four countries in Asia are also named: Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and Syria, along with three in Oceania: Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
These countries were given until 8AM on Wednesday to submit an initial plan to the State Department outlining how they intend to meet the new regulations.
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the memo directly but stated that the department is constantly “reevaluating policies to ensure Americans are safe and foreign nationals abide by the law.”
It remains unclear whether the new travel limits will be implemented immediately after the deadline.
The memo was issued a week after Trump reinstated his first-term travel ban, which blocks entry from 12 countries and restricts travel from seven others. In January, Trump signed another order directing the State Department to identify countries “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension” on their citizens.
These actions are part of Trump’s broader immigration strategy, which includes what he has termed the “largest mass deportation operation” in US history, along with the cancellation of visas and the termination of protections for tens of thousands of immigrants.
“We are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws,” a senior State Department official said, declining to comment on specific internal deliberations and communications.
“The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” the official said.
That would be a significant expansion of the ban that came into effect earlier this month. The countries affected were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The entry of people from seven other countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela – has also been partially restricted.
During his first in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
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