Trending 
The United States has imposed a temporary travel ban on individuals from Burundi, according to a statement from its embassy in the small Great Lakes nation on Monday, citing “repeated violations.”
Individuals from the country were included among seven nations that faced a partial travel ban in June due to US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Furthermore, his administration implemented an all-encompassing travel ban for individuals from 12 other countries, many of which are some of the most impoverished in Africa, drawing criticism and raising concerns regarding its legal ramifications.
In a statement on X, the US embassy said: “Respecting visa rules isn’t just personal, it is national.”
“Sadly, due to repeated violations, U.S. visas for Burundians are temporarily banned,” the statement said.
It finished by adding: “Let us uphold the rules, because one person’s actions can close doors for an entire nation.”
A report released by US authorities in 2024 revealed that over 15 per cent of Burundians exceeded the duration of their visas, in contrast to 49 per cent for Chadians and 0.15 per cent for Japanese citizens.
A source within the Burundian government, who requested to remain anonymous as they were not authorised to speak with the media, expressed optimism about the potential lifting of these measures, mentioning “ongoing talks.”
In June, the issuance of US visas for Burundians seeking education and medical appointments was halted.
The complete travel bans affected 12 countries, including the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan.
According to Trump’s directive, countries like Somalia and Sudan were deemed to have “incompetent” central authorities for handling passport processing and vetting procedures.
As for the other nations, the order pointed to an elevated risk that individuals would overstay their visas.
