The majority of international students from Equatorial Guinea have overstayed their visas in the United States, according to David Gilmour, the U.S. ambassador to Equatorial Guinea.
“Unfortunately, many Equatoguineans travel to the United States to study and for tourism and they remain in the country beyond the validity of their visa. Seventy percent of Equatoguinean students have overstayed their visas. Some 22 percent of tourists and business travelers have not respected the limit of their permission to stay,” Gilmour said in a Thursday morning statement on the social media platform X.
“Those Equatoguineans who have not respected U.S. immigration law are causing a problem that has restricted the travel of their fellow citizens,” Gilmour said, adding that if “you know someone who is presently in the United States without a valid visa, tell them to return to Equatorial Guinea immediately.”
Gilmour’s statement came less than 24 hours after President Trump signed a proclamation that fully bans nationals of a dozen countries from entering the U.S., including Equatorial Guinea.
The other countries included in the Wednesday order are Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The order also partially restricts entry for nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Trump penned an executive order on his first day in the Oval Office in January that advocated for bolstered screening and vetting of migrants who are coming into the U.S., pointing to national security concerns. The president has also forcefully cracked down on illegal immigration since taking office and curbed the flow of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump’s Wednesday proclamation included exceptions for nationals mentioned on the list who are lawful permanent residents of the U.S., current visa holders and people “whose entry serves U.S. national interests.”
Gilmour referenced those exceptions Thursday morning.
“The order does not affect Equatorial Guinea government officials traveling to the United States on government business, or lawful permanent residents of the United States,” the ambassador said.
He added that the U.S., “like Equatorial Guinea and other countries, takes decisive measures to protects its borders and to prevent the illegal presence of foreigners on its territory.”
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