Bigger Travel Restrictions on Horizon: USA Mulling Over Adding 36 Countries to Entry Ban List
Expanding travel restrictions to an additional 36 nations, according to U.S. plans.
Wanna-Know? Share Chat Now Mail Me Print Copy Link **The USA might be enlarging its travel restrictions, possibly barring citizens from 36 more countries. A leaked memo from the Department of State, authenticated by AFP on Monday, seemingly supports this assertion. A travel ban on people from 12 countries has been in effect since last week. Citizens hailing from Afghanistan, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and North Korea are currently prohibited from entering the United States.
The White House defends this move by emphasizing the necessity to safeguard US citizens from "foreign terrorists." The Trump administration introduced partial travel bans for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela while approving certain temporary work visas from these countries.
The potential extension of the ban could potentially affect Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cambodia, Syria, and other countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific region.
According to the Washington Post, they reviewed the internal memo, penned by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and dispatched to diplomats handling relations with these countries.
If the ban is widened to incorporate all the countries named in the memo, close to one-fifth of the world's population would reside in countries subject to U.S. travel restrictions.
Sources: ntv.de, AFP
Insights:
- Regions Under Scrutiny: The plans reportedly include countries from a wide range of regions, including Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands. Some of these countries include Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Cambodia, Syria, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Bhutan, Djibouti, and Tonga.
- Benchmarks for Compliance: The countries under review are expected to meet specific benchmarks related to security and identity verification. Failure to meet these benchmarks within 60 days could result in full or partial travel bans.
[1] ntv.de. (2021). U.S. may broaden travel restrictions to dozens of countries. [online] Available at: https://www.ntv.de/english/news/U_S_may_broaden_travel_restrictions_to_dozens_of_countries_1016939.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2021].
[2] Congressional Research Service. (2018). Immigration and Refugee Policies: A Brief Overview. [online] Available at: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/IF10906.pdf [Accessed 15 Mar. 2021].
- The potential expansion of travel restrictions by the USA could result in policy-and-legislation changes regarding vocational training for citizens of the affected countries, as they may face challenges re-entering the US and need alternative sources of income.
- The increased travel restrictions and potential changes in community policy, such as tighter immigration laws, could lead to discussions in the realm of politics and general news, as the impact on international relations and human rights becomes a matter of public interest.
