PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – The Haitian government said it is disappointed at the decision announced by United States (US) President, Donald Trump, to implement with a travel ban barring people from Haiti and 11 other countries from entering the US from Monday.

Trump on Wednesday banned people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Haiti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the country, while he placed restrictions on travelers from Cuba, Venezuela, Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkmenistan.

In a statement the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “this decision comes at a time when the Haitian government is striving, with the support of its international partners, to combat insecurity and strengthen border security.”

It continued, “while taking into account the immigration policy measures adopted in the exercise of the sovereign rights of a foreign government, the ministry draws attention to the danger posed by armed gangs, recently designated terrorist groups, to Haiti’s relations with other countries,” the statement said.

In a White House proclamation on Wednesday, Trump said, “the restrictions and limitations imposed by this proclamation are, in my judgment, necessary to prevent the entry or admission of foreign nationals about whom the United States Government lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose to the United States.”

“The restrictions and limitations imposed by this proclamation are necessary to garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,” Trump added.

With regards to Haiti, the proclamation states that “hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden administration,” adding that it “harms American communities”.

Trump had made the allegations against Haitians during his presidential campaign, saying that they were eating domestic pets in a small Ohio town, without any form of proof.

“In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating – they are eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said then.

The ministry said it is aware of the consequences of the decision by Washington on Haitian families both inside and outside the country and is committed to working towards rapid solutions.

It noted that this measure which takes effect on June 9, 2025, prohibits entry to the United States for Haitian nationals, with certain exceptions such as lawful permanent residents of the United States, holders of valid visas issued before the effective date of the decision, diplomats and representatives of international organisations and specific humanitarian cases, including children adopted by American citizens.

The ministry said that the Haitian Government intends to continue dialogue and cooperation with Washington on security and migration policy.