Trump Administration Seeks to Enlarge Travel Ban to 43 Countries
The Trump administration is considering renewing a wider travel ban involving citizens of as many as 43 countries. According to the ‘New York Times’, under the proposal is a combination of “red” countries — 11 nations from which residents would be completely prevented from entering the United States. They include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. In addition to this, an “orange” list of 10 countries will have their traveling restricted but not banned. Americans from Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan will still have access to travel to the U.S. on certain grounds like business. A third “yellow” list consists of 22 nations that would have 60 days to resolve security issues or else be subject to tighter restrictions. They include Angola, Benin, Cambodia, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe, among others. The suggested bans form part of the administration’s initiative to tackle national security issues. Some of the new additions, however, such as Bhutan and Russia, question the reason behind the bans. The new proposal would surpass the travel restrictions placed earlier in Trump’s first term. Even though President Biden had reversed those restrictions in 2021, Trump’s latest proposal shows he intends to restore similar restrictions for security reasons. The final list of the targeted countries might change before the administration officially makes an announcement.
