US issues ‘do not travel' warning for 21 countries — here's what you need to know
The US has added two countries to its 'do not travel' list.
Last month, government officials added North Korea and Burkina Faso to the list of countries Americans are advised against visiting.
Last month, government officials added North Korea and Burkina Faso to the list of countries Americans are advised against visiting.
Prostock-studio – stock.adobe.com
The State Department has four travel advisory levels: exercise normal precautions, exercise normal precautions, reconsider travel, and do not travel.
The threat level in North Korea and Burkina Faso has been upgraded to Level 4.
It's the highest of the US State Department's safety ranking system.
Travel to North Korea has been discouraged due to 'the continuing serious risk of arrest, long-term detention, and the threat of wrongful detention.'
Visiting Burkina Faso has been advised against because of increased 'terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.'
This update has brought the total number of countries Americans should avoid traveling to 21.
The threat level in North Korea and Burkina Faso has been upgraded to Level 4, the highest of the US State Department's four-tier safety ranking system.
Farknot Architect – stock.adobe.com
Certain parts of Mexico have also been issued Level 4 warnings, although the travel advisory level for Mexico as a whole has remained at Level 2 ('Exercise increased caution') for several years.
The announcements come amid rising global tensions and security situations in several regions.
These are the countries the US has issued 'do not travel' advisories for:
North Korea
Burkina Faso
Yemen
Iran
South Sudan
Syria
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Afghanistan
Lebanon
Central African Republic
Belarus
Iraq
Ukraine
Venezuela
Haiti
Libya
Somalia
Russia
Burma
Mali
Sudan
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
34 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump explains why Egypt was not part of travel ban after citing Boulder attack
Trump explains why Egypt was not part of travel ban after citing Boulder attack 'Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control,' Trump said of the nation's exemption from his travel ban. Show Caption Hide Caption Travelers react to the latest travel ban from President Trump "Pros and cons." Travelers in Los Angeles responded to the news of President Donald Trump's travel ban impacting nearly 20 countries. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he did not include Egypt in a travel ban, which he tied to a terror attack allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national, because the United States works closely with the Arab nation. "Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control. The countries that we have don't have things under control," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on June 5. In introducing the partial or complete ban on travel from citizens of 19 nations on June 4, Trump cited the Boulder, Colorado, attack that took place at an event raising awareness about Israeli hostages. The suspect in the case, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is an Egyptian man who entered the U.S. on a tourist visit that he overstayed after applying for asylum, federal officials say. More: Trump's travel ban is his fourth attempt. See how list compares to 2017 Yet, the travel ban that Trump unveiled days later did not include Egypt, raising questions about the timing and purpose of the ban, which the president's critics say unfairly targets African and Muslim-majority nations. Trump requested that the State Department and other national security officials put together a list of countries for potential visa restrictions in an executive order just after taking office. But nothing came of it for months, until the Boulder attack, which he blamed on the previous administration. "We want to keep bad people out of our country. The Biden administration allowed some horrendous people," Trump said in the Oval Office, as he touted his deportation policies. Egypt has acted as a central mediator alongside the United States and Qatar in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, helping to establish a ceasefire and secure the release of prisoners and hostages. The United States had conducted joint training exercises with Egypt since 1980 and considers the Arab nation that has been ruled by Abdel Fattah El-Sisi since 2014 a regional partner. The Egyptian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Reviewing Trump's second travel ban and national security concerns
President Donald Trump on Wednesday brought back a piece of his first administration, announcing a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries and restrictions on people from seven others. Trump signed a proclamation that banned individuals from those countries from entering the United States come Monday at 12:01 a.m. The ban will affect Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The seven restricted countries include Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. In his announcement, Trump cited national security concerns. He said in a video that the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, underscored the 'extreme dangers' posed by people who overstay their visas. The suspect in Colorado is from Egypt, which is not one of the countries included in Trump's new travel ban. 'In the 21st Century, we've seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign visa overstayers from dangerous places all over the world, and thanks to Biden's open door policies, today, there are millions and millions of these illegals who should not be in our country,' Trump said. 'In my first term, my powerful travel restrictions were one of our most successful policies and they were a key part of preventing major foreign terror attacks on American soil.' He said more countries could be added to the list if threats arise later on. Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day that signaled he had plans for a new travel ban. The order instructed the State Department to identify countries with inadequate vetting and screening processes. A draft list was reviewed by The New York Times in March, but it showed the administration was considering restrictions for many more countries than the ones included in Wednesday's proclamation. In his video, Trump said he directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review 'high-risk regions' and to make recommendations for restrictions. The State Department examined national security threats, countries that had a 'large-scale presence' of terrorists, a failure to cooperate for visa security, difficulty verifying traveler identity and countries that had high rates of visa overstays, Trump said. 'Very simply, we cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,' he said. This policy is similar to the previous travel ban under Trump's first administration, as it seeks to curb migration from a specific country. The original list included Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. This time, Trump is also likely to face less legal challenges, experts told the Times, likely due to the delay in the ban beginning and the variation of countries impacted. The original travel ban, often referred to as the 'Muslim ban,' was sharply criticized, but the Trump administration insisted it was in place for national security reasons and not on anti-Muslim grounds. In his proclamation Wednesday, Trump said he must protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its citizens. While Trump cited the recent attack in Boulder, deemed by authorities to be an antisemitic terror attack, Egypt, the suspect's home country, is not on the list. The current list of impacted countries could change in the future, if governments work with the U.S., the announcement said. He said he is committed to engaging with the impacted countries that are willing to cooperate and improve 'information-sharing and identify-management procedures,' as well as address terrorism and public safety risks. 'Some of the countries with inadequacies face significant challenges to reform efforts. Others have made important improvements to their protocols and procedures, and I commend them for these efforts,' the proclamation said. 'But until countries with identified inadequacies address them, members of my Cabinet have recommended certain conditional restrictions and limitations.' While Trump did not entirely outline his reasoning for all of the bans, citing 'serious damage to the national security' of the U.S. if he released it, he shared a bit about why the restrictions were going into effect. For example, Afghanistan's ban cited the Taliban as a designated global terrorist group and its lack of 'competent or cooperative central authority' for issuing passports and security screening. Burma is on the list because it has a high rate of visa overstays in the U.S., and Haiti poses national security concerns to the U.S. because of its visa overstay rate and criminal network establishment. The inclusion of Afghanistan on the banned list angered supporters who have worked to resettle people, the AP reported. However, the proclamation makes certain exceptions, including for Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, which are given to individuals who have worked closely with the U.S. during the war. Other exceptions include adoptions, visas for ethnic and religious minorities being persecuted in Iran, athletes or members of athletic teams traveling for the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting events, and immediate family immigrant visas, among others.
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
Trump's travel ban goes into effect on Monday. Here's what to know about entering the U.S. from the 12 countries on the list
Travelers from 12 countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East woke up Thursday to news they were being barred from entering the U.S., while others, from 7 additional countries, including Venezuela, learned their visa programs were being cancelled. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order that effectively bans travel from 'foreign nationals' in more than a dozen countries from entering the U.S. citing 'national security' concerns. Slated to go into effect on Monday, June 9, the restrictions revisit and expand a previous ban from Trump's first term. Like many of his executive orders, it is expected to be challenged in court, and comes as part of this administration's relentless anti-immigration agenda. Here's what to know about this latest travel ban. What countries are on the travel ban list? The ban fully restricts the entry of individuals from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also partially restricts the entry of travelers from an additional 7 nations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Why were these countries targeted? The administration said the ban was needed to ensure these foreign governments would comply with Trump's immigration policies, and the president made his decision based on a State Department report, according to The Washington Post. The order said the restrictions were meant to 'encourage foreign governments to improve their information-sharing and identity-management protocols and practices.' According to the administration, the banned countries had high rates of people who had overstayed their visas, had poor passport security vetting procedures, and had country-specific risk factors. However, the ban does include exemptions: for law abiding permanent residents, existing visa holders and those from certain visa categories, and those who serve U.S interests, per the Post.
