Trump Restricts Immigration for Six Additional Countries Including Nigeria, Tanzania, Eritrea, and Sudan

The Trump administration on Friday expanded his controversial travel ban to include more countries, among them four African.

On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is banning immigration visas from citizens of Nigeria, Tanzania, Eritrea, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and Kyrgyzstan. Citizens of these countries will still be allowed to visit the US temporarily on non-immigrant visas such as student and tourist visas, but will not be eligible to move to the US on permanent resident visas (green cards).

DHS also said it is suspending nationals of Tanzania and Sudan from the green card lottery (officially known as the U.S. Diversity visa program).

The new bans are in addition to travel ban announced by President Donald Trump three years ago in an executive order, which affected mainly0Muslim countries.

DHS acting Secretary Cahd Wolf said the countries failed to meet the minimum security requirements, adding that the department would work with the countries to bolster their security requirements so that they can get off the list.

“These countries for the most part want to be helpful, they want to do the right thing, they have relationships with the U.S., but for a variety of different reasons failed to meet those minimum requirements,” Wold said.

The original travel ban, which mainly affected majority-Muslim countries, included Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

The new bans go into effect February 22nd.