U.S. May Extend Travel Ban to 36 More Nations: Potential Countries Include Egypt, Nigeria, and Cambodia
America seeks to expand travel restrictions to an additional 36 nations.
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The U.S. Department of State is reportedly contemplating expanding its travel ban to 36 more countries. AFP confirmed the authenticity of an internal memo regarding this matter on Monday. To begin with, citizens of 12 countries are currently barred from entering the U.S. Those hailing from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Congo (the Republic), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Chad now find themselves excluded.
The White House justifies this move to protect American citizens from "foreign terrorists." The government under President Trump has partially imposed entry bans on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, but certain work visas from these countries are still allowed.
If the scope expands to include the 36 countries mentioned in the memo, it could potentially impact citizens of Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cambodia, and other nations across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific region.
According to the "Washington Post," they've had a chance to peruse the internal memo, which bears Secretary of State Marco Rubio's signature and was sent to diplomats working with these countries.
If the proposed countries comply with new U.S. Department of State benchmarks and verification criteria within the next 60 days, the travel ban will not be enforced. However, countries that fall short of the required criteria could face either full or partial suspensions of U.S. entry.
This potential expansion would significantly widen the number of nations subject to U.S. travel restrictions, potentially impacting vital U.S. partnerships in Africa, the Caribbean, and other regions. For instance, some countries, such as Djibouti, Nigeria, and Egypt, could find their citizens limited in their ability to visit the U.S. This expansion could prove challenging for countries facing issues with identity verification, government cooperation, and instances of visa overstays.
[1] CFR.org, "Border Security and Immigration Policy in the United States," Updated March 11, 2021, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/border-security-and-immigration-policy-united-states[2] WaPo.com, "U.S. mulls expanding visa entry ban to dozens more countries," By Josh Dawsey, Tom Hamburger, and Barbara Sprunt, September 28, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/u-s-mulls-expansion-of-travel-ban-to-dozens-more-countries/2020/09/28/a37702f6-f7cd-11ea-8f3c-8b8e1d640853_story.html
- Due to the possible expansion of the travel ban, communities within the affected countries may need to implement policies to address the potential reduction in vocational training opportunities for their citizens, as the restrictions could impact nations such as Egypt, Nigeria, and Cambodia.
- In response to the proposed travel ban expansion, advocacy groups are calling for policy-and-legislation changes at both the national and international level to address the politics surrounding immigration and general-news issues related to foreign policy and visa restrictions affecting countries like Egypt, Nigeria, and Cambodia.
