The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says it does not take lightly the potential strict travel restrictions on Liberia by United States diplomats and security officials.
Responding to the potential visa and travel restrictions to be placed on Liberia, on Monday, March 17, 2025, during a Joint Senate hearing, Foreign Affairs Minister Madam Sara Beysolow Nyante termed the potential visa ban a complete surprise while urging Liberians to remain calm as the government engages the US State Department to ascertain the facts surrounding the matter.
She argued that since taking office as Minister of Foreign Affairs, she has worked with the U.S. government to address some of the requirements outlined in the potential visa ban through formal letters and meetings in Washington, D.C.
"The information received in the news and social media was a surprise. When the information came out, we contacted the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, and they said that they had no information in relation to this report," Minister Beysolow-Nyante told Senators on Capitol Hill Monday.
"This was also reported in the New York Times newspaper. We are not taking this lightly whether it's true or misleading," she stated.
The Liberian Senate held a Joint Committee hearing for officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, March 17, 2025. The hearing, which was conducted within the Senate Chamber, was held jointly by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Defense, Security, and Intelligence.
The hearing sought to address some concerning issues relative to Liberia's foreign relations, deployment of foreign service officials, the well-being of Liberian Students in Morocco and other parts of the world, the Japanese Grant, and the latest concerns being raised by the US Government regarding "Visa Restriction" for Liberia.
According to international reports, U.S. diplomats and security officials have developed a plan to impose strict travel restrictions on citizens from 43 countries, including Liberia.
The plan categorizes these nations into three groups based on their perceived security risks and government effectiveness.
Under the proposed policy, 11 countries are placed on a "red" list, meaning their citizens will be completely banned from entering the United States. Another 10 countries are on an "orange" list, which would restrict but not entirely block their travel to the US.
Additionally, 22 countries, including Liberia, have been placed on a "yellow" list and given 60 days to address security deficiencies or face a potential travel ban.
Though the security deficiencies were not listed in the report, other nations on the 'yellow' list include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.
However, the report further indicated that the proposed restrictions stem from concerns over weak or corrupt governance and security challenges in the affected nations.
While Liberian government officials have yet to comment on this development, The New Dawn searched official U.S. government sources but found no confirmation of the policy.
However, the paper gathered that the move reportedly originated from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump upon taking office in January, instructing officials to compile the lists within 60 days.
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The US president described the list as necessary to protect the US from potential security threats.
Similar to this, the paper learned that travel bans were enacted during President Donald Trump's first term but were partially reversed by the Biden administration in 2021. If implemented, the new restrictions would mark a return and expansion of those earlier policies.
Meanwhile, I'm told that the U.S. State Department and security agencies are currently reviewing the proposal, though a final decision has not been made.
As the situation develops, Liberians and citizens of the other listed nations will be watching closely to see whether the U.S. government moves forward with these travel restrictions. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
