Why did Trump ban travel from these 12 countries?

The travel ban issued by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday is primarily affecting countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Twelve countries face a complete ban and will come into effect Monday. People from seven more countries face partial restrictions.

Trump portrayed it as a national security issue. He cited a recent attack on members of the Colorado Jewish community. This is said to have been done by the Egyptian people. Egypt itself is not on the prohibited list.

Other reasons cited include alleged damage to US visa rules by people in the troubled country. Let's take a closer look at some of the president's reasoning.

A presidential declaration signed by Trump has resulted in a variety of accusations against Afghanistan. The document highlights that the country's dominant Taliban is a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) group.

The move comes weeks after announcing the end of the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for Afghans living in the United States suggested there was a signal that they believe the situation has improved in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has been further accused by Trump of lacking a “competent or cooperative” central authority to issue passports or civil documents. The issue of continuing visas by Afghan citizens, like other countries on Trump's list, is also cited.

Trump's declaration identifies Iran as a national sponsor of terrorism — a long-standing accusation previously rejected by Middle Eastern states.

The US previously denounced Tehran, the capital of Iran, and is suspected of sponsoring proxy groups operating in the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

A new declaration from Trump states that the country is “a key source of terrorism around the world,” and that it has not cooperated with the US on security risks and has “has historically been unable to accept removable citizens.”

The move comes amid a diplomatic struggle between both sides over the creation of a new contract over Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities.

In the case of Somalia, a similar reason is provided. The East African country has been branded by Trump as a “safe shelter for terrorists.” Like Iran, it is also accused of not accepting its citizens when it was removed from the United States.

But there was more to Trump. “Somalia is distinguished from other countries by the extent to which the government lacks command and control of its territory, and in many ways it significantly limits the effectiveness of its competence.”

Somali's international government faces important challenges from armed Muslims. He promised to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised by Trump.

Libya, North Africa, is cited for the “historical terrorist presence,” depicted as a security threat to Americans.

Libya and Somalia are among the countries on Trump's list that have been criticized for their unrecognizedness in the issuance of passports.

The document highlights that “hunds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded the United States during the Biden administration.”

Trump points to a variety of perception risks that come with this, including the creation of a “criminal network” and the rate of overstaying high visas.

US Census Bureau data suggested that over 852,000 Haitians lived in the United States in February 2024, but there were no breakdowns when those immigrants arrived.

Many came after a devastating earthquake in 2010 or fled gang violence that took hold in the Caribbean. The US President also points out the lack of Haiti's central authorities on issues that include law enforcement.

These countries have been accused by Trump of relatively high visa overstay rates.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines “overstay” as someone who remains in the United States beyond the permitted period of entry without evidence of extension. “Rate” indicates the percentage of people who stayed.

Central African nation Chad is chosen because it shows a “blatant disregard for US immigration law.”

The document highlights a 49.54% overstay rate by Chadians on business or tourist visas in 2023, citing the DHS report.

Congo-Brazzaville and Equatorial Guinea are comparable proportions of 29.63% and 21.98%, respectively. However, these rates are lower than in Laos, which faces less limits.

Myanmar – called Burma in the Trump Declaration – has been accused of having a high rate of overstaying visas.

Like others, including Iran, the country is further accused of not cooperating with the United States to accept deported Burmese citizens.

In these countries, the first claim Trump has made is that he has the suspicious ability to issue passports and civil documents.

Eritrea and Sudan are further accused of having relatively high visa overstay rates. Eritrea is also accused of the US of failing to use its citizens' criminal history and refusing to accept deported citizens.

Like Somalia, Yemen is accused of not controlling its land. Trump's declaration emphasizes that it is a place for active US military operations. The United States is fighting the Houches, which seized much of the country's north and west during the ongoing civil war.

People from the other seven countries face partial restrictions:

Venezuela has been accused of lacking a “competent or cooperative” central authority to issue passports and similar documents. The allegations of Visa's incumbents and the refusal to accept the exile are being mentioned again. In response, the South American nation describes the Trump administration as “a supreme staker who thinks he owns the world.” Visa overStays Visa refusal to accept deportees is also mentioned as the incumbents of Visa are once again presented as an important issue in the case of Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkmenistan.