The United States is reportedly considering imposing travel restrictions on citizens from 41 countries, including Afghanistan, as part of a new ban, says a media report.
Reuters reported a Trump administration memo divided the 41 countries into three groups,. The first group includes 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea, which would face a full visa suspension.
The second group includes five countries—Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan—where there would be partial suspensions affecting tourist, student, and other immigrant visas, with some exceptions.
The third group consists of 26 countries, including Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, which could face partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, cautioned that the list could change and the proposal still required approval from the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
This move echoes President Donald Trump’s first-term travel ban, which targeted travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations. The policy went through several iterations before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Trump’s executive order, issued on January 20, required intensified security vetting for foreigners seeking entry to the US, in order to detect potential national security threats.
It also directed several cabinet members to submit by March 21 a list of countries from which travel should be partially or fully suspended due to deficiencies in their “vetting and screening information”.
Views: 9
