Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo says
By Humeyra Pamuk
Washington (Reuters) -US President Donald Trump’s administration, according to an internal external department cable seen by Reuters, is considering expanding travel restrictions to a significant extent by potentially prohibiting the entry of 36 additional countries from entering the US.
At the beginning of this month, the Republican President said that there was a need for action to protect the US against “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats.
The Directive was part of Trump’s second period of immigration initiated at the beginning of this year, which included the deportation of hundreds of Venezuela to El Salvador, who suspected of being a gang member, and attempts to reject the records of some foreign students from US universities.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed a dozen concern about the countries in question and sought a corrective action.
“The department, which was sent at the weekend, said, if they do not meet the established criteria and requirements within 60 days, 36 concern that can be recommended for full or partial entry.” He said.
The cable was first reported by Washington Post.
The cable said the lack of a competent or collaborative government by some countries, which are said to produce reliable identity documents, among the concerns brought by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Another was the “suspicious security” of that country’s passport.
Cable, some countries, the abolition of citizens ordered to facilitate the abolition of the United States is not collaborator, he said. Some countries exceeded US visas to US citizens.
Other reasons for concern were involved in terrorist acts of the country’s citizens in the US or anti -Semitic and anti -American activities.
The cable said that not all of these concerns are about every listed country.
“We are constantly re -evaluating the policies to enable Americans and foreign nationals to follow our laws,” a senior Foreign Ministry official refused to comment on certain internal negotiations and communication. He said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is determined to protect our nation and citizens by preserving the highest standards of national security and public security through our visa process.” He said.
Countries that may encounter a complete or partial prohibition if they do not deal with these concerns in the next 60 days: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Coto Verde, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Domban, Domampi, Democratic Republic, Democratic Republic, Democratic Republic, Democratic Kyrosist Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalala, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zimbia and Zimbabwe.
This will be an important expansion of the ban that came into force at the beginning of this month. The affected countries were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Ecuador Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
People of the other seven countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela – entrance were partially restricted.
In his first position, Trump announced in 2018 that he was a prohibited travelers from seven Muslim majority countries, a policy that had passed a few repetitions before it was approved by the Supreme Court.
(Reporting by Bill Berkrot by Humeyra Pamukeding)
