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Why Is Tiny Tuvalu on the U.S. Travel Ban List?

Why has a small Island like Tuvalu on the US Travel Ban list? 

Three Pacific Island nations, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, are among 36 countries named in a leaked U.S. State Department memo that could soon face new visa restrictions. The document, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, gives the governments of each country 60 days to respond to concerns or face full or partial bans on visa access to the United States.

According to the Post, the memo identified varied benchmarks that, in the administration’s estimation, these countries were failing to meet. Some countries had “no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents,” or they suffered from “widespread government fraud.” Others had large numbers of citizens who overstayed their visas in the United States, the memo said.

The concerns raised include the security of passport systems, high visa overstay rates, and a lack of cooperation with U.S. authorities in deporting nationals ordered to leave the country.

Why These Nations Were Named

The memo identifies four main areas of concern:

  • Unsecure documentation — travel and identity documents that may be easily forged;
  • Visa overstays — where citizens remain in the U.S. beyond their permitted period;
  • Limited cooperation in removals — when governments fail to assist in deportation cases;
  • General security issues — including vague references to anti-American or antisemitic sentiment, with no specific evidence cited for these Pacific nations.

While Vanuatu has in the past faced questions over its passport sale programme, there is no known record of Tonga or Tuvalu being involved in any form of security threat in this way.

Other stated reasons included the availability of citizenship by monetary investment without a requirement of residency and claims of “antisemitic and anti-American activity in the United States” by people from those countries. The memo also stated that if a country was willing to accept third-country nationals who were removed from the United States or enter a “safe third country” agreement, it could mitigate other concerns.

Criticism and Questions

Critics have questioned the inclusion of these Pacific nations, noting their size and long-standing cooperation with U.S. foreign policy.

Pacific affairs journalist Michael Field described the move as “baffling,” pointing out the combined population of Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu is around 434,000. “Tuvalu alone barely tops 9,600,” he wrote, “about the same number of people who stroll into Foggy Bottom every morning — and none are lining up to invade the Potomac.”

Field also noted that while the U.S. memo refers to "questionable" passport security, there is “no credible evidence” that Tonga or Tuvalu are “shipping jihadists through Funafuti.”

Part of a Broader Policy Expansion

This development is part of a wider expansion of the U.S. travel restrictions programme. Earlier this month, 12 countries were placed under full bans, and 7 more had partial restrictions applied. According to Reuters, the latest wave of proposed restrictions is based less on national security and more on immigration compliance and documentation standards.

Countries placed on the watchlist have until mid-August 2025 to submit plans showing how they will strengthen passport security, manage visa overstay cases, and support the repatriation of citizens.

Regional Impacts

The move could have significant consequences for Pacific families. Many rely on travel to the U.S. for seasonal work, education, or visiting relatives. Tonga, in particular, has previously requested the establishment of a U.S. embassy in Nukuʻalofa to make visa access more affordable and accessible.

In 2020, the US Census reported that 78,871 people in the US have Tongan ancestry with one study describing the Tongan community in the States as “a struggling Tongan immigrant population”.  

The expanded ban follows the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown  that has already resulted in the arrest and deportation of many Pacific islanders. 

As of now, none of the three governments have publicly responded to the memo, but regional leaders are expected to meet and discuss coordinated responses in the coming weeks.

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