N’Djamena, Chad – June 6, 2025
Chad has announced the suspension of all visas to U.S. citizens in a retaliatory move following the inclusion of Chadian nationals in a newly announced U.S. travel ban by President Donald Trump. President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, in a strongly worded Facebook post on Thursday, declared the decision a matter of “reciprocity”, asserting that Chad may lack powerful resources, but not dignity or pride.
The U.S. ban, unveiled by President Trump, targets 12 countries — seven of them from Africa — and is scheduled to take effect on Monday, June 9. The ban prohibits nationals from Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan from entering the U.S., alongside citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, and Yemen. In addition, travel restrictions have been placed on nationals of Burundi, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, Laos, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, who will no longer qualify for certain visa categories.
“Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride,” President Déby wrote in French.
In response, Chad’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul said his government was “surprised” by the decision and criticized the U.S. for citing terrorism concerns despite Chad’s active role in regional counterterrorism efforts.
Meanwhile, Somalia reacted swiftly and diplomatically, pledging to work with U.S. authorities to address the concerns raised. However, Eritreans voiced deep distress, fearing separation from family and further hardship. Eritrea’s one-party regime and indefinite military service continue to push citizens to seek asylum abroad.
“We’ve already suffered under our regime at home, and now we’re facing the same hardship under Trump’s immigration policies,” an anonymous Eritrean man told BBC Tigrinya.
President Trump defended the move, describing it as “common-sense restrictions” to protect Americans from “dangerous foreign actors”, citing recent security concerns. However, critics noted the Boulder, Colorado attack suspect is Egyptian, a country not included in the ban.
According to the White House, the affected nations were targeted for reasons including lack of proper passport systems, poor vetting infrastructure, or high visa overstay rates — some as high as 70% for Equatorial Guinea. Civil unrest and terrorism history were also cited, especially in Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.
The African Union has expressed concern over the move’s negative diplomatic implications, calling for greater consultation with affected nations.
The travel ban honors a 2024 Trump campaign promise and echoes his controversial 2017 executive order, which critics labeled a “Muslim ban”. Though initially overturned in part, it was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. President Joe Biden rescinded that ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience.”
While visas issued before June 9 will remain valid, the new ban includes exemptions for dual nationals and athletes participating in global events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Legal experts anticipate court challenges in the days ahead.
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