NIAMEY, Niger — Niger has banned issuance of visas to US citizens and barred them from entering its territory, escalating diplomatic tensions after Washington placed the West African nation on a list of countries facing full U.S. entry restrictions.
According to the Niger News Agency (ANP), the retaliatory measures came into effect this week and apply indefinitely.
Citing a Nigerien diplomatic source, the agency reported that Niamey had “completely and permanently halted the issuance of visas to all U.S. citizens” in response to Washington’s decision to restrict entry for Nigerien nationals.
The move follows a proclamation signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on December 16, expanding and tightening entry restrictions on foreign nationals from about 40 countries. The measures are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
Niger is among five countries facing full entry restrictions, alongside Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan and Syria.
“The decision is grounded in the principle of reciprocity and reflects Niger’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty,” the diplomatic source told ANP.
In a fact sheet accompanying the proclamation, the White House said the restrictions target countries with “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that allegedly pose national security and public safety risks to the United States.
The latest expansion builds on earlier measures announced in June, when the U.S. administration imposed full entry bans on citizens of 12 countries it said posed a “very high risk.”
Those countries were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Partial restrictions were also applied to nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
In addition, the December proclamation extended full restrictions to individuals holding Palestinian Authority–issued travel documents, further widening the scope of the U.S. travel and immigration crackdown.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced last month that it had launched renewed reviews of green card holders from 19 “countries of concern,” corresponding to those placed under entry restrictions in June.
The U.S. State Department separately confirmed a suspension of visa issuance to holders of Afghan passports.
President Trump has repeatedly framed the measures as necessary for national security. In a recent social media post, he said he would permanently suspend immigration from what he termed “Third World countries,” language that has drawn criticism from civil rights groups and some lawmakers.
The Washington Post reported that the administration has used politically sensitive moments to broaden its immigration clampdown, noting that the initial June travel ban followed an attack in Boulder, Colorado, allegedly carried out by an immigrant from Egypt who had entered the U.S. on a visa.
For Niger, the visa ban marks a significant diplomatic escalation at a time when the country’s relations with Western partners have already been strained following last year’s military takeover and the subsequent withdrawal of U.S. and French troops.
Analysts say the move underscores Niamey’s growing willingness to confront Western governments and assert a more hardline, reciprocal approach to foreign relations.
Neither the U.S. State Department nor the White House had issued an immediate response to Niger’s retaliatory ban by Thursday.
