
The United States is weighing an expansion of its travel ban to include 36 additional countries, potentially affecting nearly 1.5 billion people.
According to a leaked memo reviewed by The Washington Post and confirmed by a source to AFP, the draft directive would mark a sweeping extension of entry restrictions.
Earlier this month, the State Department imposed full bans on 12 countries — including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Iran — and partial bans on seven others.
This new list includes nations such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia, Syria, and even small island states like Vanuatu.
The internal memo, reportedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, gives the listed governments 60 days to comply with new security requirements.
If enacted, the combined restrictions would apply to 55 nations and nearly 18 percent of the world’s population.
Egypt, notably absent from the initial ban, now appears on the expanded list — raising concerns among US partners and regional allies.
A State Department spokesperson declined to confirm the memo’s contents, stating only that the US continuously reviews its policies to ensure national security.
Former President Donald Trump, who revived the travel bans during his administration, warned earlier this month that further expansions were likely.
He linked the move to a recent deadly attack in Colorado, allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa.
The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, had applied for asylum in 2022, according to US court documents cited by officials.
The looming expansion underscores the administration’s hardened stance on immigration amid rising global tensions and domestic security concerns.