Policy Paper

Targeting Portuguese-Speaking Countries: An Anatomy of Proposed U.S. Travel Bans

October 30, 2025
MIGRATION AND SECURITY | GEOPOLITICAL INFLUENCE | STRATEGIC FRONTIERS

The analysis discusses the current US administration's immigration policy, particularly its focus on limiting immigration from African nations, especially those with Portuguese-speaking heritage. Since the first Trump administration, US immigration policies have increasingly relied on visa restrictions and travel bans, significantly impacting international governance and economic stability in the affected regions. The analysis highlights four Lusophone African nations—Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), and São Tomé and Príncipe—that are affected by recent travel bans, which are significant due to their historical ties to the former Portuguese empire and their strategic geographical positions in the Atlantic. The rationale for including these countries in the US travel ban is framed within the broader context of the administration's immigration policy, exploring the reasons behind these restrictions, particularly how historical legacies and contemporary geopolitical considerations influence US relations with these nations. The paper excludes a detailed examination of Equatorial Guinea, citing existing research on its high visa overstay rates in the US and the inadequacy of vetting data available to US authorities; although officially a Spanish-speaking country, Portuguese is widely used there, and it is part of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries). Overall, the analysis underscores the complex interplay between US immigration policies and the socio-economic realities of Lusophone African countries, aiming to shed light on how historical legacies, current geopolitical interests, and immigration restrictions shape the relationships between the US and these nations.

Download PDF

Similar Publications

Policy Paper

AI Trade Offs: A Systems Lens on Decision-Making

November 21, 2025
Policy Paper

The Embedded Value Transfer and Neuralink Settlement System

November 4, 2025
Policy Paper

Building a Global Coalition for Human-Centered Governance: Process, Oversight, and Technology in Context

October 23, 2025
Policy Paper

Enhancing Digital Public Infrastructure in West Africa

August 19, 2025
Policy Paper

AI and the Donut Economy

May 29, 2025
Policy Paper

Blockchain Applications in Government

May 21, 2025
Policy Paper

Poverty and Behavioural Economics

May 30, 2025
Policy Paper

Bridging the AI Divide

January 23, 2024
Research Paper

AI Disruption in Latin America: Bridging Gaps or Widening Inequality

June 21, 2025

Similar Topic

Policy Paper

AI Trade Offs: A Systems Lens on Decision-Making

November 21, 2025
Position paper

Leadership in Silence - Governance at Scale

October 27, 2025
Policy Paper

Building a Global Coalition for Human-Centered Governance: Process, Oversight, and Technology in Context

October 23, 2025
Position paper

Advancing Autonomous Compliance: AI-driven Decision-Making, Adapatability, and Evolution

October 21, 2025
Expert Insights

AI Agents in China: New Directions in Technology and Political Culture

September 24, 2025
Summit Report

Terms of Engagement: Designing What We Hold In Common

Author:
No items found.
August 28, 2025
Policy Paper

Enhancing Digital Public Infrastructure in West Africa

August 19, 2025
Policy Paper

AI and the Donut Economy

May 29, 2025
Policy Paper

Poverty and Behavioural Economics

May 30, 2025
Expert Insights

An Introduction to Digital Authoritarianism in a Complex Age

April 15, 2025