Mali and Burkina Faso announced reciprocal travel bans on United States citizens in response to measures imposed by Washington earlier this month, according to statements from their foreign ministries. The announcements, issued late Tuesday, cited the principle of reciprocity following a December 16 decision by the White House that added Mali, Burkina Faso, and five other countries to a list subject to a full US travel ban ordered by President Donald Trump.

The US administration said the expanded restrictions, set to take effect on January 1, apply to countries it said have deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing related to national security and public safety. Mali stated that the US decision was taken without prior consultation and said the justification provided by Washington was not supported by developments on the ground. Burkina Faso issued a separate statement confirming a similar reciprocal measure.

Other countries have taken comparable steps following inclusion on US travel ban lists. On December 25, Niger announced it would stop issuing visas to US citizens, according to its state media agency, citing a diplomatic source. In June, Chad said it was suspending visa issuance to US citizens after being added to an earlier US travel ban list. The US travel ban has been expanded from 19 to 39 countries and includes restrictions affecting nationals of countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Syria.