BBC Information
Donald Trump has signed a ban on journey to the US from 12 international locations citing nationwide safety dangers, based on the White Home.
There are additionally seven extra international locations whose nationals will face a partial journey restrictions.
The US president stated the listing could possibly be revised if “materials enhancements” had been made and extra international locations could possibly be added as “threats emerge around the globe”.
That is the second time he has ordered a ban on journey from sure international locations.
He signed the same order in 2017, throughout his first time period in workplace.
Which international locations are affected?
Trump has signed a proclamation banning journey to the US from nationals of 12 international locations:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Congo-Brazzaville
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Nationals from these international locations won’t be allowed to enter the US until they qualify for an exception.
There are an extra seven international locations whose nationals face partial journey restrictions:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
International locations hit by the partial restrictions won’t be able to journey to the US with sure visas.
The ban takes impact on Monday at 00:01 EDT (04:01 GMT), a cushion that avoids the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when the same measure took impact with nearly no discover eight years in the past. No finish date has been supplied; the order requires periodic assessment.
Why has a ban been introduced?
The White Home stated these “frequent sense restrictions” would “shield Individuals from harmful overseas actors”.
In a video posted to his Fact Social web site, Trump stated the latest alleged terror assault in Boulder, Colorado “underscored the acute risks” posed by overseas nationals who had not been “correctly vetted”.
Twelve folks had been injured in Colorado on Sunday when a person attacked a bunch gathering in help of Israeli hostages, throwing two incendiary units and utilizing a makeshift flamethrower.
The person accused of finishing up the assault has been recognized as an Egyptian nationwide, however Egypt just isn’t included on the listing of banned international locations.
Trump has shut ties with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has previously been described by the US president as his “favorite dictator”.
Solely two of the 19 international locations are on the US authorities’s State Sponsors of Terrorism listing – Iran, which has a full ban, and Cuba, which has partial journey restrictions.
However nationwide safety is given as a partial purpose for his selection of nations.
Within the proclamation, Trump stated many of those international locations listed have a “historic failure to simply accept again their detachable nationals” for the US, in addition to having “taken benefit” of the US by exploiting its visa system.
He added that nationals from sure international locations additionally “pose vital dangers” of overstaying their visas.
World Cup gamers allowed – who else is exempt?
There are a selection of individuals from affected international locations who should be capable of enter the US attributable to quite a lot of exceptions. The order doesn’t apply to:
- “Lawful everlasting” US residents
- Their quick members of the family who maintain immigrant visas
- US authorities workers with Particular Immigrant Visas
- Adoptions
- Twin nationals when the person just isn’t travelling on a passport from one of many affected international locations
- Afghan nationals holding Particular Immigrant Visas
- Holders of “immigrant visas for ethnic and spiritual minorities dealing with persecution in Iran”
- International nationals travelling with sure non-immigrant visas
- Athletes, their groups (together with coaches and supporting employees), and their quick household when travelling for main sporting occasions, similar to the lads’s soccer World Cup in 2026 and the Summer time 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
As well as, the Secretary of State could grant exemptions to people on a “case-by-case” foundation, if “the person would serve a United States nationwide curiosity”.
What has been the response to the ban?
Trump’s newest order, which is anticipated to face authorized challenges, drew a swift response, at residence and overseas.
Somalia promised to work with the USA to handle any safety points.
In a press release, Somali ambassador to the US, Dahir Hassan Abdi, stated his nation “values its longstanding relationship” with America.
Venezuela’s Inside Minister Diosdado Cabello warned that “being in the USA is a superb threat for anybody, not only for Venezuelans”.
The African Union, which represents all 55 international locations on the African continent, referred to as on the US to “have interaction in constructive dialogue with the international locations involved”.
It appealed to the US to train its sovereign proper to guard its borders and its residents’ safety “in a way that’s balanced, evidence-based, and reflective of the long-standing partnership between the USA and Africa”.
The union stated it stays involved concerning the “potential destructive affect of such measures”.
Democrats had been fast to sentence the transfer.
“This ban, expanded from Trump’s Muslim ban in his first time period, will solely additional isolate us on the world stage,” Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat congresswoman from Washington, says in a social media publish.
One other Democrat, congressman Don Beyer, says Trump “betrayed” the beliefs of the US’ founders.
Human rights teams have additionally criticised the ban.
Amnesty Worldwide USA described it as “discriminatory, racist, and downright merciless”, whereas the US-based Human Rights First, referred to as it “one more anti-immigrant and punitive motion taken” by the president.
What occurred final time?
Trump ordered his unique journey ban throughout his first time period within the White Home in 2017.
It featured a few of the similar international locations as his newest order, together with Iran, Libya and Somalia.
Critics referred to as it a “Muslim ban” because the seven international locations initially listed had been Muslim majority, and it was instantly challenged in courts throughout the US.
The White Home revised the coverage, in the end including two non-Muslim majority international locations, North Korea and Venezuela.
It was upheld by the Supreme Court docket in 2018.
President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our nationwide conscience.”
Observe the twists and turns of Trump’s second time period with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher’s weekly US Politics Unspun publication. Readers within the UK can enroll right here. These outdoors the UK can enroll right here.
