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The government of Niger has imposed a ban on issuing visas to American citizens in response to new United States entry restrictions, a Nigerien diplomatic source said.
The decision followed a US move earlier this month to place Niger on a list of countries subject to full entry restrictions under a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump.
The White House said the measures are necessary “to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose.”
Under the proclamation, full entry restrictions apply to nationals of 12 countries previously designated as high risk, including Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan and Syria were later added to the list, along with individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
In response, Niger has “totally and permanently prohibits the issuance of visas to all American citizens and indefinitely bans entry into its territory to nationals of the United States,” the source said.
The decision is based on the principle of reciprocity and reflects an effort to assert national sovereignty, according to the source, who spoke to the Agence Nigerienne de Presse.
