WASHINGTON:
The Trump administration plans to publish radical travel restrictions for citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the question and an internal note seen by Reuters.
The memo listed a total of 41 countries divided into three distinct groups. The first group of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea, among others, would be placed for a complete visa suspension.
In the second group, five countries – Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan – would face partial suspensions that would have an impact on tourist and students visas as well as other immigrant visas, a few exceptions.
In the third group, a total of 26 countries which includes Bélarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, among others, would be considered for a partial suspension of the American visa program if their governments “do not face gaps in the 60 days,” said the memo.
An American official speaking on condition of anonymity has been warned that there could be changes on the list and that he has not yet been approved by the administration, including the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The New York Times reported the list of countries for the first time. This decision returns to the prohibition of the first mandate of President Donald Trump of travelers of seven nations predominantly Muslim, a policy which underwent several iterations before it was confirmed by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Trump has published a decree of January 20 demanding an intensified verification of the security of any foreigner requesting admission to the United States to detect national security threats. This ordinance ordered several members of the cabinet to submit by March 21 a list of countries from which travel should be partly or entirely suspended because their “verification and screening information are so deficient”.
