NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a travel ban on nationals from 12 countries, citing national security risks and deficiencies in screening and vetting procedures. The countries affected include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Announcing the move via his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump referenced the recent attack in Colorado—where an Egyptian national allegedly set fire to demonstrators advocating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza—as a signal of broader security threats.

According to a White House statement, the nations listed were determined to pose a "very high risk" to the United States due to their inability to meet U.S. standards for identity verification and information sharing.

The new restrictions will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 9. In addition to the outright ban, the proclamation also introduces partial restrictions on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These countries face limits on certain immigrant and non-immigrant visas—including B-1, B-2, F, M, and J categories—due to high visa overstay rates or lack of cooperation with U.S. authorities.

The move marks a revival and expansion of Trump’s earlier travel ban policy from his first term, which initially targeted seven Muslim-majority nations.

“We cannot allow unrestricted migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably screen individuals,” Trump stated in the proclamation. “That is why today I am enacting new travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and several others.”