Donald Trump travel ban LIVE: People from 12 countries banned from visiting US

During his first term, Mr Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the US by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Tourists from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the US or detained at US airports after they landed. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family.

The order, often referred to as the “Muslim ban” or the “travel ban,” was retooled amid legal challenges, until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

The ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

Mr Trump and others have defended the initial ban on national security grounds, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias. However, the president had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House.

Trump has banned 12 countries from visiting the US. They are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

But there will be some exemptions to his new policy. Athletes participating in major sporting events, dual nationals and Afghan nationals holding Special Immigrant Visas may still be allowed into the US.

The order also says the secretary of state could grant exemptions on a "case-by-case" basis.

After Mr Trump introduced the travel ban during his first term in 2017, reaction was again fierce. International aid groups and refugee resettlement organisations roundly condemned the ban.

And chaos unfolded at airports nationwide when the similar measure took effect with virtually no notice that year. Mr Trump has on this occasion given several days for the affected nations and their citizens to prepare as the ban begins on Monday at 12.01am.

The President had indicated he had plans for a new ban upon taking office in January - and now, nearly six months on, the wheels are in motion.

Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, said: "This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States."

Meanwhile, the Iranian government offered no immediate reaction to being included. The Trump administration called Iran a "state sponsor of terrorism," barring visitors except for those already holding visas or coming into the US on special visas America issues for minorities facing persecution.

Other Mideast nations on the list — Libya, Sudan and Yemen — all face ongoing civil strife and territory overseen by opposing factions. Sudan has an active war, while Yemen’s war is largely stalemated and Libyan forces remain armed.

Writing on TruthSocial, Mr Trump claimed: "Haiti lacks a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information necessary to ensure its nationals do not undermine the national security of the United States."

Haiti, which avoided the travel ban during Mr Trump’s first term, was also included for high overstay rates and large numbers who came to the US illegally. Haitians continue to flee poverty, hunger and political instability deepens while police and a UN-backed mission fight a surge in gang violence, with armed men controlling at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince.

The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban makes exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade-long war there.

Afghanistan was also one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Mr Trump suspended refugee resettlement his first day in office.

"To include Afghanistan — a nation whose people stood alongside American service members for 20 years — is a moral disgrace. It spits in the face of our allies, our veterans, and every value we claim to uphold,” said Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac.

Mr Trump wrote that Afghanistan “lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.” He also cited its visa overstay rates.

The President said some countries had "deficient" screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their own citizens.

His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of visa overstays of tourists, business visitors and students who arrive by air and sea, singling out countries with high percentages of remaining after their visas expired.

“We don't want them,” Mr Trump said.

In addition to the 12 countries on the banned list, people from seven other nations will face restrictions - but not total bans.

These are;

• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela

Mr Trump has stated he feels the travel ban is necessary following Sunday's terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, which saw eight people suffer serious injuries.

The President said the attack underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The suspect in the attack - Mohamed Sabry Soliman - is from Egypt, but this country that is not on Mr Trump’s restricted list. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa.

Residents from the following nations won't be able to visit the US from Monday;

• Afghanistan
• Myanmar
• Chad
• The Republic of Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen