Chad Suspends Visas for US Citizens in Response to Trump’s Recent Travel Ban

Chad has announced the suspension of visa issuance to United States citizens, in a retaliatory move against a new U.S. travel ban signed by President Donald Trump. The ban, which targets 12 countries, including Chad, is set to take effect on June 9, 2025.

President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno ordered the suspension on Wednesday, describing it as a matter of national dignity and reciprocity.

I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to US citizens,” Deby said in a Facebook post.

The U.S. travel ban affects nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial restrictions also apply to Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

According to the Trump administration, the decision is based on national security concerns. In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Trump stated that the measure was necessary to prevent the entry of individuals who pose security risks.

We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,” he said.

The White House cited several reasons for the restrictions, including the presence of terrorist groups, poor cooperation on visa and identity verification, lack of criminal record databases, and high visa overstay rates.

Chad’s response stresses its opposition to what it regards as an unjust policy. President Deby said that although Chad lacks wealth or influence, it would not tolerate unfair treatment.

“Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride,” he said, referring to the $400 million luxury aircraft reportedly gifted to Trump’s administration by Qatar’s ruling family.

The decision has also drawn support from the African Union Commission, which criticised the U.S. travel ban as arbitrary and harmful to diplomatic relations.

This is not the first time Chad has faced a U.S. travel ban. In 2017, the Trump administration added Chad to a similar list but lifted the restriction months later following diplomatic negotiations.

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