The Trump administration is finalising an expanded travel ban that would bar certain citizens of countries with high overstay rates from entering the US, according to reports
The US White House is poised to announce new, sweeping travel bans, it has been reported.
Reports are surfacing that the Trump administration is close to unveiling an extended travel ban which may hit as early as next week.
The US president aims to extend and tighten his notorious travel restrictions, potentially barring citizens from various additional countries from entering the US. This new ban, according to The New York Times, will encompass even more nations than those included in his contentious initial bans during his presidency’s outset. .
In January, Trump directed his Cabinet to list countries warranting comprehensive or partial travel constraints, leading to a current draft proposal that details a range of countries facing possible US entry prohibitions. It’s anticipated that the original targets of
Trump’s former bans such as Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, will remain on this updated “red list”. Furthermore, Pakistan and Afghanistan are likely to join the “red list” roster.
While countries tagged as “orange” will encounter limited access, those marked as “yellow” are being given a 60-day time frame to rectify “deficiencies” before any sanctions are executed. Analysts point out the severe impact looming over hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals who have been granted Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for their support to US military operations throughout the two-decade conflict in Afghanistan, reports the Express.
The group #AfghanEvac, which is actively involved in aiding the resettlement efforts alongside the US government, has issued an urgent statement this week: “If you have a valid US visa in your passport or travel document, you should make travel arrangements immediately.”
They also warned, “Nothing has officially changed yet, but sources within the US Government indicate that a travel ban for Afghan nationals may be announced within the next week.”
The International Refugee Admissions Project spoke out against reports of a new travel ban, saying in a news release Friday that many of their clients “have been waiting years for their visas to be processed and remain in extremely dangerous circumstances.”
Last time around, those from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen were banned for 90 days, refugees for 120 days were blocked, and travel from Syria was suspended.
The specifics and the countries to be included are expected to be confirmed shortly. Recalling past events, Trump’s initial travel ban in 2017 was met with legal challenges and was halted by the courts.
Despite the first two versions being blocked, the Supreme Court eventually upheld a third revised version of the travel ban, affecting approximately 7% of the world’s population. The upcoming list of nations likely to face US travel restrictions will be released soon.
President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s initial round of travel bans when he took office in 2021.
“The Department is undertaking a full review of all visa programs as directed under this EO and executing on administration priorities,” a spokesperson said for the President said, CNN reported. The spokesperson would not give further details, saying they do “not comment on internal deliberations or communications.”
