Chad’s Bold Move 

Chad has responded to the United States travel ban by suspending the issuance of visas to American citizens. Citing reciprocity, the move comes after Chad got listed among a dozen countries whose nationals are barred from entering the United States.

“I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and to suspend the granting of visas to citizens of the United States of America,” Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby said in a June 5 Facebook post. “Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride.” He added.

His statement, a pointed reference to President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to accept a Boeing 747-8 luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to serve as Air Force One. The move drew criticism over potential security risks and an estimated $400 million in retrofitting costs, raising ethical concerns about accepting such a gift from a foreign government.

President Déby’s remarks came in response to a proclamation signed by Trump late on June 4 that reinstates and expands a travel ban, blocking entry to the U.S. for citizens of 12 countries and imposing restrictions on seven others, with African countries the most heavily affected.

The new policy closely mirrors the 2017 travel ban that the Biden administration later repealed, restricts individuals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Iran, Libya, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are completely barred from entering the U.S. for any reason. Additionally, the U.S. has imposed new limits on immigration, student, and business visas from seven other nations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The White House justified the ban by saying that nationals from these countries “pose a very high risk to the United States” and national security. The US president said the list could be revised if “material improvements” were made and additional countries could be added as “threats emerge around the world.”

The White House said these “common-sense restrictions” would “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors”.

Chad was the first to hit back with a retaliatory measure, while other countries affected by the ban have condemned it as discriminatory and a mistake, opting instead to seek diplomatic resolutions.

Chad did not hide its disappointment. Alongside strong words from the president, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul told the AFP news agency that the government was “surprised by this announcement, and even more so by the terrorism-related justification, which completely disregards Chad’s commitment and achievements in this area.”

The African Union, representing all 55 countries on the continent, issued a statement urging the U.S. to pursue “constructive dialogue with the countries concerned” and to adopt a more collaborative approach. It also voiced concern about the potential negative consequences of the measures.

The ban officially took effect on Monday, June 9, allowing for a brief transition period that avoided the chaotic airport scenes seen when a similar policy was introduced without warning eight years earlier.

Exemptions will apply to nationals possessing dual citizenship and athletes participating in major international events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Chad did not clarify whether the decision would affect future visa issuance or whether U.S. citizens currently in the country are on temporary visas.

The new travel restrictions fulfill a promise made by Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign and are expected to face legal challenges. A similar executive order issued during his first term in 2017 included some of the same countries, such as Libya, Somalia, and Iran. Critics widely condemned it as a “Muslim ban,” given that all seven initially listed countries were Muslim-majority. The White House later revised the list to include North Korea and Venezuela, both non-Muslim nations.

That version was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repealed the measure in 2021, describing it as “a stain on our national conscience.”