President Dan says Visa Waiver setback driven more by US migration politics than Romania's political situation

Romanian president Nicușor Dan said on Tuesday, September 30, that Washington's decision to suspend Romania's entry into the US Visa Waiver Program was driven more by internal American debates over migration than by the political situation in Bucharest, Agerpres reported.

The Romanian leader stressed that the move should be seen as a domestic policy signal in the United States, where migration remains a contentious issue.

"The decision of the United States to suspend Romania's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program had much less to do with Romania's political situation than with American domestic politics related to migration. Migration is a phenomenon that greatly concerns US society, and suspending a visa exemption program for the citizens of a country was an internal political message that the United States wanted to send," he told Euronews Romania.

President Dan noted that Romania had pledged to repatriate nationals found living illegally in the United States and had assured Washington that granting Romanians visa-free travel would not trigger a migration surge.

"From a technical point of view, we have acted responsibly, we have repatriated when needed, and we gave assurances that Visa Waiver will not generate migratory effects for the United States," he added.

Referring to the planned visit to the US next year, Nicușor Dan said he expects to meet president Donald Trump in the first quarter of 2026, with discussions likely to focus on defense and economic ties.

"On security, we have continuity, with ongoing military equipment orders and thousands of US soldiers stationed in Romania. On the economic side, we want strong American investments, whether in Black Sea gas, technology, or IT," Dan said, noting that groundwork at a technical level must be laid before the presidential meeting.

Romania was formally designated the 43rd country to join the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) on January 10 this year. The Romanian ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, said at the time that Romanian citizens would be able to travel to the US without the need for a visa starting March 31.

However, just days before the official entry date, the US announced that it had temporarily suspended