President Donald Trump is set to reinstate and expand his controversial travel ban, potentially restricting travel from 43 countries, according to reports from The New York Times.
During his first term, Trump implemented a travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim-majority nations, a move critics denounced as discriminatory. His new plan reportedly broadens the scope, categorizing nations into three lists—red, orange, and yellow—each representing varying levels of travel restrictions.
The “red” list includes 11 nations whose citizens would be entirely barred from entering the U.S.:
Meanwhile, the “orange” list contains 10 countries whose citizens would face strict visa requirements, including mandatory in-person interviews. These nations include:
The “yellow” list comprises 22 mostly African nations that will have 60 days to address U.S. security concerns. If they fail to comply, they could be moved to the red or orange lists. These countries are: Angola, Cameroon, Liberia, Mali, and Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe and Vanuatu.
A White House official told The Independent that no final decision has been made regarding the travel ban’s implementation. However, the U.S. State Department reportedly developed the proposal weeks ago, and it is currently undergoing reviews.
Security experts and U.S. embassy officials are assessing the validity of the listed countries’ so-called “deficiencies” before finalizing the restrictions. The list is expected to evolve before reaching the White House for approval.
In his January 20 executive order, Trump justified the new travel ban as a measure to protect the U.S. from foreign nationals who might pose security threats or exploit immigration laws.
This move comes after President Joe Biden rescinded Trump’s original travel bans on his first day in office in 2021, calling them “a stain on our national conscience.” Biden argued that the policy contradicted the U.S.’s longstanding tradition of welcoming individuals regardless of faith or nationality.
Credit: Independent.co.uk
