By Abiola Olawale
United States President Donald Trump is reportedly considering slamming a sweeping travel ban on Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, and 22 other African countries.
The purported travel ban proposal was said to be contained in a leaked memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday.
In the leak memo, Trump’s administration outlined a proposal that could lead to visa restrictions or outright entry bans on up to 36 countries. The majority of these nations are located in Africa, The Washington Post reported.
According to the Washington Post, the proposed move, the memo stated, is based on updated benchmarks introduced by the US State Department.
Among the benchmarks cited are the inability of some governments to provide credible identity or civil documents due to the absence of a reliable central data authority or widespread fraud.
Here is the full list of the 25 African countries reported to be under consideration for the planned travel ban to the United States:
Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cabo Verde
Cameroon
Côte d’Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Liberia
Malawi
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
SĂŁo TomĂ© and PrĂncipe
Senegal
South Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
