Gaza aid ship with Greta Thunberg on board reaches port after Israel vows to deport activists

The boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists seeking to bring symbolic aid to Gaza has arrived at an Israeli port, after its forces intercepted the flotilla.

Adalah, a legal rights group representing the activists, said at 10pm local time they had received confirmation that the group were being held at Ashdod port, just south of Tel Aviv, and were undergoing processing before being handed over to Israeli immigration authorities.

Demanding access to the passengers of the British-flagged yacht Madleen – which had sought to break the naval blockade on Gaza – Adalah said: “Unless they agree to leave immediately, they will be transferred to the detention facility in Ramleh.

“While authorities have indicated that those who consent to deportation may be allowed to fly out from Tel Aviv tonight, it’s unclear what conditions – such as signing documents or waiving rights – may be imposed.”

Earlier, organisers of the “Freedom Flotilla”, said there had been no contact with the 12 international activists for nearly 19 hours after the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters at around 2am on Monday.

Warning that the activists had been “forcibly abducted” while sailing peacefully under international law, organiser Huwaida Arraf told Al Jazeera that Israel “has no authority” to maintain its blockade on Gaza, and criticised the UK government for failing to issue a strong condemnation of the UK-flagged vessel’s seizure.

Downing Street on Monday afternoon urged Israel to act “safely with restraint, in line with international humanitarian law”, and described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “appalling and intolerable”.

A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in the Gaza Strip, where more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military campaign launched after Hamas’s attacks on 7 October 2023 killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, with 251 others taken hostage.

The flotilla, which is the latest in a long line of activist attempts to break the blockade of Gaza, sought to raise international awareness of the crisis in Gaza and deliver a small amount of aid, including rice and baby formula.

During a previous Freedom Flotilla in May 2010, nine people were killed after Israeli commandos opened fire on activists after boarding the flagship vessel 90 miles from Gaza. Just last month, two drones hit another vessel destined for Gaza while it was off the coast of Malta.

In a video filmed before the Madleen was captured, released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Ms Thunberg, 22, said: “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel.

“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”

However, speaking outside the Swedish parliament on Monday, foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said she did not believe Ms Thunberg was in need of support from Stockholm, adding: “A great responsibility rests on those who choose to travel contrary to the advice.”

Speaking as protestors gathered in Stockholm to demand action, Ms Stenergard condemned a “dangerous” campaign to flood her ministry with calls, adding: “The consequence is that Swedes in need abroad have to wait in line for far too long.”

But the Swedish foreign ministry said it was in contact with Israeli authorities, telling Reuters: “Should the need for consular support arise, the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assess how we can best help the Swedish citizen/Greta Thunberg resolve her situation.”

With Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz claiming he had instructed the military to show “antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends” footage of the 7 October attacks upon their arrival in Ashdod, Israel’s foreign ministry also sought to dismiss the flotilla as a stunt.

The ministry said on social media: “The ‘Selfie Yacht’ docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago. The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health.”

“The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,” the ministry said, days after Israel’s controversial new “aid plan” descended into chaos, with reports of stampedes and guns being fired at starving crowds.

In a fresh warning on Monday, the United Nations said families in Gaza are “hanging on by a thread” with the aid reaching the Strip remaining “critically insufficient”.

As well as tightly controlling air and land deliveries into Gaza – permitting no supplies to enter for three months earlier this year – Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the Strip since Hamas took control in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group.

The UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, who has supported the Freedom Flotilla operation, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade.

“Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid [and] solidarity to Gaza,” she said.

UK family visa rules should be relaxed, government review suggests

British workers should be able to bring their family members to the UK more easily, a government review into family visas has suggested.

Under policies brought in by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, British citizens or settled residents who want to bring their partners to the UK are required to show they have a salary of at least £29,000 a year. The Conservatives had planned to further raise the threshold to £38,700, but Labour ordered a review of the requirements, which have been described as a “tax on love” by critics.

In a boost to separated families, the review has now said that an appropriate minimum income requirement (MIR) would be between £23,000 and £25,000 a year.

In a report published on Tuesday, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said they consider a range of between £21,000 and £28,000 to be reasonable. They added that their modelling of different options “cluster around the region of £23,000 to £25,000”. This would allow most British workers in full-time minimum-wage jobs to qualify to bring their spouses to the UK.

This is however still higher than the previous £18,600 threshold that was in place before the 2024 changes.

The review authors estimated that if the salary threshold was dropped from £29,000 to £24,000 this would increase net migration by up to 8,000 people, roughly 1-3 per cent of projected future net migration.

Rachel Roberts Dos Santos and her two boys, Emanoel and Jaime, have been living apart from her Brazilian husband and stepdaughter because of the income rules. She said the report recommendations sounded promising, but added: “In an ideal world, there would be no price tag on love”.

Ms Roberts Dos Santos said goodbye to her husband Manoel in 2019 for what she thought was six months while she tried to earn enough to meet the salary threshold. When Covid hit she lost her job and was unable to meet the income requirements needed to reunite her family.

“My two boys are registered child models, and one of them earned some money in 2023 and we were able to buy three plane tickets to go and see daddy for the first time in four years. Then last year Manoel was able to come to the UK for six months on a tourist visa, but when he went back it left a massive hole again.”

She is now training to be a project manager with the aim of getting a job above the £29,000 threshold.

The MAC has also recommended that the Home Office consider ways to factor in any job offers that a partner wishing to come to the UK has.

Caroline Coombs, co-founder of Reunite Families UK, said: “We appreciate MAC’s reference to the fact that should the government decide to maintain an MIR, this should be lowered and reflect minimum wages however we firmly believe that there shouldn’t be an MIR given its impact. Any threshold even at minimum wage would still separate many groups of people who just want to be a family here in the UK.”

Chair of MAC, Professor Brian Bell, said the committee’s report outlines “several approaches the government could take, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each.”

Green MP Carla Denyer, who has met with separated families, said: “Minimum income requirements for family visas are a cruel tax on love that tears families apart and puts untold stress on those with the misfortune to simply fall in love with someone who is not from this country.

“The current system is cruel and impractical and should be scrapped.”

But the Conservatives called for Labour to urgently revive the party’s plan to hike the salary threshold to £38,000. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Migration figures remain far too high. It’s time to end ECHR obstruction, raise the salary thresholds, and take back control of who comes into this country. This includes a binding annual cap on immigration set by Parliament, but Labour recently voted against doing this. Only the Conservatives have a credible plan.”

Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal author, dies aged 86

Prolific British novelist Frederick Forsyth, best known for 1971’s TheDay of the Jackal, which was adapted for the screen in 1973 and again in 2024, has died. He was 86.

Forsyth died at home Monday after a brief illness, his literary agent, Jonathan Lloyd, confirmed. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.

“We mourn the passing of one of the world’s greatest thriller writers,” Lloyd said in a statement, per The Times. “Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life — In My Own Words, to be released later this year on BBC1 — and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived.”

Born August 25, 1938, in Ashford, Kent, Forsyth served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force before becoming a journalist. He was hired by Reuters in 1961 before moving over to the BBC in 1965, where he worked as an assistant diplomatic correspondent.

During much of his early career with Reuters, he reported on French affairs and the attempted assassination of President Charles de Gaulle. After transitioning to BBC, however, he was sent to Nigeria to report on the Biafran war.

“My brief was to report the all-conquering march of the Nigerian army,” Forsyth recalled in a 2020 op-ed for The Guardian. “It did not happen. Naively, I filed this. When my report was broadcast our high commissioner complained to the CRO in London, who passed it on to the BBC — which accused me of pro-rebel bias and recalled me to London.”

Frustrated by the BBC’s “slavishness” to Whitehall, he quit and returned to Biafra in 1968 as a freelance reporter. There, he began working for MI6 as an intelligence “asset,” he revealed in his 2015 autobiography, The Outsider.

“There was nothing weird about it,” he clarified at a live event in October 2015, “it was the Cold War. An awful lot of the strength of British intelligence came from the number of volunteers. A businessman might be going to a trade fair in a difficult-to-enter city and he’d be approached, quite gently, with a courteous, ‘If you would be so kind as to accept an envelope under your hotel door and bring it home …’ so that was what I did. I ran errands.”

In 1971, Forsyth published his debut novel, The Day of the Jackal, which followed an assassin’s mission to kill President de Gaulle. It was later adapted into a movie, starring Edward Fox, in 1973. It more recently inspired Peacock’s 2024 thriller series of the same name, led by Eddie Redmayne.

His experience as a war correspondent continued providing inspiration for his other popular novels, including The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra and The Kill List.

Forsyth’s series of novels has sold more than 75 million copies worldwide. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1977 for his contributions to literature.

“Still read by millions across the world, Freddie’s thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire. He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come,” Forsyth’s publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, added in a statement.

Scott-Kerr called working with Forsyth “one of the great pleasures of my professional life.”

“The flow of brilliant plots and ideas aside, he was the most professional writer an editor could hope for.”

Trump stumbles on steps up to Air Force One

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both stumbled as they boarded Air Force One on Sunday on their way to Camp David.

The stumble came after Trump gaggled with reporters in Hagerstown, Maryland, when he was asked if he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to the protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles.

“Depends on whether or not there’s an insurrection,” said Trump.

A reporter asked if he believes there is an insurrection taking place.

“No, no, but you have violent people,” he added. “And we’re not going to let them get away with it.”

Asked if he would deploy troops even without invoking the Insurrection Act, Trump said, “We’re going to have troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country. We’re not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.”

Trump frequently mocked former President Joe Biden for the stumbles he took during his time in office. This time, it was Trump facing the mockery of social media users.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t replaced those stairs with a portable escalator of some kind,” RC Huffman said.

“Time to get Old Man Trump fitted for a wheelchair,” said Ron Filipkowski.

Northwestern law lecturer Jason DeSanto added: “More beta energy.”

“When Joe Biden did stuff like this, Fox would play the clips over and over like it was as significant as the moon landing,” journalist Aaron Rupar noted.

“Cannot wait for all the books and wall-to-wall coverage,” political strategist Marco Frieri said.

In the summer of 2023, Trump mocked Biden for falling at the Air Force graduation ceremony in Colorado.

He said it was “not inspiring” for the graduates to have seen the then-president take a tumble over a sandbag.

“I hope he wasn’t hurt. I hope he wasn’t hurt…You don’t want that,” said Trump during a campaign event in Iowa.

He then pointed back to when he tiptoed down a ramp in 2020 at the Army’s West Point graduation ceremony.

“The whole thing is crazy, you have got to be careful about that, you don’t want that even if you have to tiptoe down a ramp,” he said at the time.

He added that the ramp was “like an ice-skating rink.”

Following the 2024 election and Biden’s departure from the campaign in the summer of 2024, leaving then-Vice President Kamala Harris to pick up the mantle, there has been widespread reporting regarding Biden’s physical and mental struggles as he aged in office.

It has been reported that aides discussed the use of a wheelchair if Biden had won a second term in the White House.

Warning after mystery blue pills linked to three deaths in Devon

The deaths of three men in Plymouth are linked and believed to be drug-related, police have said.

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were called to a property on Welbeck Avenue in the city around 3pm on Saturday after reports of concern for two men.

The men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were found dead at the scene, the force said.

A third man in his 30s was found dead in a property on North Road East on Sunday, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The families of the men have been informed and formal identification has not yet been completed.

Detective Inspector Michelle Dunn said: “The deaths are believed to be drugs related and are being treated as linked and unexplained.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances and we are working closely with our partner agencies to do this.

“If anyone has any information which they feel may assist our investigation, please report it to us.”

The force is urging anyone with information to come forward by calling 101 or visiting one of its Public Enquiry Offices, quoting reference 50250144278.

A drug charity in Plymouth sent out a text warning people about the three deaths. They said the deaths are believed to be linked to blue pills that are being sold in the city.

The charity Harbour said the pills are thought to be sold as valium, and warned those who purchased them not to consume them.

Harbour urged people to carry Naloxone – an emergency antidote for overdoses caused by heroin and other opiates or opioids.

The text, seen by DevonLive, read: “Three people have died following taking blue pills thought to be sold as Valium.

“If you have bought blue pills, don’t take them.”

It continued: “You may need multiple doses [of Naloxone].

“Make sure that you have enough Naloxone and that those who you spend time with know how to use it.

“You can get Naloxone from Harbour.

“Do not use alone, use with a friend or someone you trust, who will call an ambulance for you.”

The Independent has contacted Harbour for comment.

The 7 best outdoor adventures in Sydney and New South Wales

Whether you’re lacing up your hiking boots, throwing on a wetsuit to catch some waves, or hitting the wide-open roads of New South Wales (NSW) by campervan, this Australian state is home to some of the country’s most exciting outdoor adventures – all easily accessible thanks to Qantas’ extensive domestic network.

Flying into Sydney with Qantas is the ideal way to experience a slice of Australia before you’ve even landed. And with onboard wellbeing perks, plus the option to book more discounted domestic legs using Qantas Explorer, it really is the savvy traveller’s best way to explore Australia.

Here are seven next-level outdoor adventures in NSW, and the best way to get there.

Sydney might be a modern metropolis, but it’s also home to an extraordinary natural playground, the star attraction of which is Sydney Harbour National Park. This protected area weaves through the city’s coastline, offering walking trails, secluded beaches, and panoramic views that blend wild bushland with iconic urban landmarks. Away from the National Park, you can paddle a kayak at dawn beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, go on a cycle tour and sunset cruise around Manly and North Heads coastal cliffs, or follow the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk for sweeping ocean views and refreshing swim spots.

Just a 90-minute trip from Sydney by road, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains is an endless landscape of towering eucalyptus forests and striking sandstone cliffs as far as the eye can see. There are few places quite as grand as this so close to a city. Don your hiking boots and traverse spectacular scenery to Wentworth Falls or take on the Grand Canyon Track – a 6km loop of dramatic cliffs, fern-fringed valleys and thundering waterfalls with lookouts to match. If you’re an early riser, watch the sunrise at Echo Point, where the Three Sisters rock formation is lit up by the glow of first light.

Wildlife lovers need to head north to Port Macquarie for some of the best marine encounters on the east coast. Humpback whales are almost guaranteed from May to November, and dolphins can be spotted all year round. For front-row views, jump on a whale-watching cruise, or pitch up with a picnic on a headland and watch the breaching giants from afar.

Swap the sandy beaches for subtropical rainforest in Coffs Harbour’s hinterland in Dorrigo National Park, where winding roads serpentine through flourishing banana plantations, dense palm-filled forest and endless rolling hills. The region’s cycling trails range from casual loops to more challenging rides with jaw-to-the-floor sea views.

Aussies love their surfing, and Byron Bay is the epitome of surf culture Down Under, with beaches to suit all skill levels; from the gentle swell at The Pass to barrel-laden breaks at Tallows. If you’ve got any stamina left, soak up the view from Cape Byron Lighthouse post-surf – the easternmost point of mainland Australia.

With over 8,000 islands to its name, Australia offers the ultimate in island adventures. Lord Howe is one of them, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed pristine island, where only 400 visitors are allowed at any one time. You’ll find rare birds, kaleidoscopic coral reefs, and Mount Gower, offering one of the best day hikes in the country, with epic coastline views and dizzying drops.

For those who need more than a beach stroll to get the heart pumping, grab a kayak and explore the Sapphire Coast from the water in Merimbula. Glide over crystal-clear waters, past secluded coves, pristine beaches, and the untouched beauty of surrounding national parks. Keep an eye out for dolphins and other marine life as you paddle. Once back on shore, refuel with the region’s famous fresh oysters and enjoy a refreshing dip at Bar Beach.

Book your flight to Sydney today at qantas.com and start your Australian adventure.

Reeves backs £14bn Sizewell C build in push for clean energy and jobs

Rachel Reeves has approved £14.2 billion in funding to support construction of the new Sizewell C nuclear power station, as part of her first major spending review.

The investment will be confirmed by the chancellor at the GMB union’s annual congress on Tuesday, in a move aimed at boosting the UK’s energy security and cutting carbon emissions.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the new plant was central to delivering a “golden age of clean energy abundance” and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Trade unions welcomed the move, which the Treasury said would go towards creating 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships.

But campaigners criticised the move, warning that the full cost of the development remains unclear and could far exceed the initial investment.

Nuclear plants are seen as increasingly important electricity sources as the government tries to decarbonise Britain’s grid by 2030, replacing fossil fuels with green power.

The last time Britain completed one was in 1987, which was the Sizewell B plant.

Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, is under construction and is expected to produce enough power for about six million homes when it opens, but that may not be until 2031.

The energy secretary said: “We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis.

“This is the Government’s clean energy mission in action – investing in lower bills and good jobs for energy security.”

At the peak of construction, Sizewell C is expected to provide 10,000 jobs and the company behind the project has already signed £330 million worth of contracts with local businesses.

The plant, which will power the equivalent of six million homes, is planned to be operational in the 2030s.

The government is also due to confirm one of Europe’s first small modular reactor programmes and will invest £2.5 billion over five years in fusion energy research as part of plans to boost the UK’s nuclear industry.

The GMB union said giving Sizewell C the go-ahead was “momentous”.

Regional Secretary Warren Kenny said: “Nuclear power is essential for clean, affordable, and reliable energy – without new nuclear, there can be no net zero.

“Sizewell C will provide thousands of good, skilled, unionised jobs and we look forward to working closely with the Government and Sizewell C to help secure a greener future for this country’s energy sector.”

However, Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C said ministers had not “come clean” about the full cost of the project, which the group have previously estimated could be some £40 billion.

“There still appears to be no final investment decision for Sizewell C, but £14.2 billion in taxpayers’ funding, a decision we condemn and firmly believe the government will come to regret,” she said.

“Where is the benefit for voters in ploughing more money into Sizewell C that could be spent on other priorities, and when the project will add to consumer bills and is guaranteed to be late and overspent just like Hinkley C?

“Ministers have still not come clean about Sizewell C’s cost and, given negotiations with private investors are incomplete, they have signed away all leverage and will be forced to offer generous deals that undermine value for money. Starmer and Reeves have just signed up to HS2 mark 2.”

Full list of 19 countries hit by Trump travel ban as it comes into force

President Donald Trump’s order banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States has come into force on Monday.

The directive, signed on Wednesday last week, is part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has also included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students and deport others.

“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in a video posted on X arguing the ban was designed to protect the country from “foreign terrorists”. He said the list could be revised and new countries could be added.

Follow The Independent’s live blog on Donald Trump’s feud with Elon Musk here.

The proclamation came into effect at 12:01 am EDT (04:01 GMT) on Monday. Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said.

Trump said in a social media address that a recent Molotov cocktail attack on Jewish activists in Colorado, allegedly carried out by an Egyptian man, highlighted the need for such restrictions.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the alleged attacker, remained in the U.S. after his travel visa and subsequent work authorization expired, according to the government.

“The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme danger posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “We don’t want them.”

During his first term in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

Former President Joe Biden repealed that ban on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience.”

Trump said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” fail to cooperate on visa security and have an inability to verify travelers’ identities, inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States.

“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,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump cited a range of reasons for placing 19 countries under new travel bans or restrictions in the U.S.

They include allegations of lax screening of travelers, “a significant terrorist presence” in its territory, a government that wasn’t cooperative enough in accepting deported citizens or residents who were prone to overstaying their visas in the United States.

Here are the 12 countries placed under the ban, and the seven placed under travel restrictions:

Trump’s proclamation declares that there is not a reliable central authority for vetting nationals who leave the country, or for issuing passports, therefore raising the risk of national security.

A spokesperson for the Taliban-led Afghan foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Citizens from Chad were accused of having high visa overstay rates in the U.S., the proclamation said.

The high rate of visa overstays by immigrants from Chad, which has a population just under 20 million, showed a “blatant disregard for United States immigration laws”, the proclamation read.

The entry of immigrants to the US from Equatorial Guinea, a small central African country of under two million people, has been fully suspended by the U.S..

This is on account of the high rate of visa overstays, The White House said.

The central African country of more than six million people sits west of the Congo River.

It was suspended for alleged high visa overstay rates, the proclamation stated.

The US says criminal records for Eritrean nationals are not available in the U.S., and accuses the country of refusing to accept back its “removable nationals”

Questioning the “competence of the central authority” and pointing to a high rate of visa overstay of Eritrean immigrants, the US has imposed a full ban on the northeast African country of around 3.5 million.

The White House said in the proclamation that “hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden Administration”.

The increase in migration from Haiti has increased national security rates and the establishment of criminal networks, it said, adding that Haitian authorities do not sufficiently ensure its nationals do not undermine U.S. security.

Iran, one of the most powerful countries in the MIddle East with a population of 90 million, has a long history of tense relations with the U.S.

“Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism,” the proclamation reads. “Iran regularly fails to cooperate with the United States Government in identifying security risks, is the source of significant terrorism around the world, and has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals.”

The US alleges that Libya does not have a competent authority for issuing passports, adding that the “historical terrorist presence” in the country poses a risk to U.S. nationals.

A full ban has been imposed on the north African country.

Myanmar has failed to cooperate with the U.S. to “accept back their removable nationals”, the White House says, while immigrants from the war-torn nation have a high visa overstay rate in the US.

A full ban has been imposed on immigration from the southeast Asian nation.

Somalia “stands apart from other countries in the degree to which its government lacks command and control of its territory”, the White House said.

The Trump administration has described the east African country as a “terrorist safe haven” which has refused to accept the return of its “removable nationals” and poses a threat to the U.S.

Migration from Sudan, which the U.S. says has a high visa overstay rate and does not have appropriate vetting measures for its emigrants, has been fully suspended.

Millions of people have been displaced in Sudan and fled the country altogether, as it remains in the grip of a brutal civil war with devastating humanitarian consequences.

The Yemeni government does not have physical control over its own territory, the U.S. says, and does not sufficiently vet those leaving the country, the proclamation states.

The U.S. has also engaged in military operations on Yemeni territory with the Houthi rebel group, it notes.

Burundi, the east African country of 13 million people, has seen a partial ban on immigration of its citizens to the U.S.

The validity of nonimmigrant visas will be reduced as far as the law allows, the proclamation states.

The Trump administration describes Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism”, adding that it fails to share “sufficient law enforcement information with the United States”.

Barack Obama had sought an easing of relations with Cuba on the back-end of his presidency, something which has since been reversed by presidents Trump and Biden.

Immigrants from Laos are accused by the U.S. of having high overstay rates. The country’s government does not accept back nationals who have been removed from the U.S., the proclamation adds.

Entry of nationals from Laos, the southeast Asian country of 7.6 million, has therefore been suspended.

Sierra Leone, the west African country where the U.S. attempted to bring peace during a civil war in the 1990s, has been added to the partial suspension.

The proclamation cites high visa overstay rates, and accuses the government of failing to accept returned immigrants.

Togo, in West Africa, has been added to the list on account of the high overstay rates of its immigrants to the U.S., the White House proclamation read.

“These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants,” Trump said.

Turkmenistan has also seen migration of its citizens to the U.S. restricted due to alleged high visa overstay rates.

The central Asian country has a population of 7.3 million.

As of January 2025, there were approximately 607,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S., according to the Migration Policy Institute.

The proclamation states that a high number of these immigrants overstayed their visa, and accused the country of failing to have strong vetting processes for its nationals who emigrate.

Chad president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to U.S. citizens in response to Trump’s action.

“Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride,” he said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the U.S. a luxury airplane for Trump’s use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the U.S.

Somalia immediately pledged to work with the U.S. to address security issues.

“Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,” Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, responded on Wednesday evening by describing the U.S. government as fascist and warning Venezuelans of being in the U.S.

“The truth is being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans … They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason.”

Trump’s presidential campaign focused on a tough border strategy and he previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”

Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.