WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump administration has given 36 countries around the world — including Egypt and Syria — a 60-day deadline to take corrective measures regarding the issuance of travel documents and the status of their nationals residing illegally in the United States. Failure to comply could result in their addition to the existing U.S. travel ban list of 12 countries, including Yemen.

The U.S. Department of State identified these 36 countries as “countries of concern” that may face full or partial suspension of travel to the U.S. if they do not meet specified standards and requirements within the 60-day period.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told the Associated Press that the Trump administration wants these countries to improve passport verification procedures, accept their deported citizens and take steps to ensure their nationals do not pose threats to the United States.

Among the key concerns raised were the lack of competent or cooperative governments in some of the listed countries, making it difficult to issue reliable identity documents, as well as security doubts surrounding those countries’ passports.

The department also noted that some countries had not cooperated in facilitating the deportation of their nationals from the U.S. who are under final removal orders, and that many had high visa overstay rates.

Additional concerns included the involvement of nationals from those countries in terrorist activities in the U.S., as well as anti-Semitic or anti-American actions.

“We are constantly reassessing our policies to ensure the safety of Americans and to make sure foreign nationals comply with our laws,” a senior State Department official stated, emphasizing the department’s commitment to “protecting our nation and citizens by maintaining the highest standards of national security and public safety in the visa process.”

Countries at risk of a full or partial ban if they fail to address these concerns within the 60-day timeframe include
Egypt, Syria, Djibouti, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This would represent a major expansion of the travel ban that went into effect earlier this month, which already includes
Yemen, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea and Haiti.

Additionally, partial travel restrictions have been imposed on citizens from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.