The United States President Donald Trump is considering issuing travel restrictions for citizens of 41 countries as part of the administration’s crackdown on illegal migrants and to detect national security threats.
According to a memo reported in the media, the list were divided into three groups.
The first group of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea among others, would be set for a full visa suspension.
In the second group, five countries — Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan — would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions.
In the third group, a total of 26 countries that includes Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan among others would be considered for a partial suspension of U.S. visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days”, the memo said.
However, it was gathered that while there could be changes, the current list was yet to be approved by the administration, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Recall that President Trump had in his first term placed ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Recall also that Trump had on January 20 issued an executive order requiring security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.
That order directed several cabinet members to submit by March 21 a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”
Trump’s directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term.
He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”
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The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups.
Full visa suspension:
Afghanistan
Cuba
Iran
Libya
North Korea
Somalia
Sudan
Syria
Venezuela
Yemen
Partial visa suspension (tourist, student and some other visas affected):
Eritrea
Haiti
Laos
Myanmar
South Sudan
Countries recommended for a partial suspension if they do not address deficiencies:
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Belarus
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Chad
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Dominica
Equatorial Guinea
Gambia
Liberia
Malawi
Mauritania
Pakistan
Republic of the Congo
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Sao Tome and Principe
Sierra Leone
East Timor
Turkmenistan
Vanuatu
