President Idriss Deby announced the decision in a Facebook post on Thursday, June 5, declaring the suspension a matter of national dignity.
'I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to U.S. citizens,' Deby wrote.
'Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride," he added.
The announcement comes in response to Trump's recent order reinstating and expanding travel restrictions on foreign nationals from 19 countries, including Chad, citing national security threats, terrorism risks, and poor cooperation on immigration enforcement.
Chad was placed under a full travel ban, meaning most of its citizens are barred from entering the United States. Other African nations under similar restrictions include Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, the Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. An additional threeâ€"Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togoâ€"face partial bans targeting tourist, student, and business visas.
The U.S. administration cited high visa overstay rates and poor vetting infrastructure in Chad as reasons for its inclusion. According to the Department of Homeland Security, certain visa categories from Chad had overstay rates exceeding 50 percent.
President Trump, in a video statement, said the bans were necessary to protect the U.S. from 'foreign terrorists and other threats,' citing a recent terror incident in Boulder, Colorado.
'We don't want them,' Trump said bluntly, referring to migrants from countries flagged in the executive order.
'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States.'
Wycliffe Nyamasege
