US travel ban looms if Pakistan doesn’t address ‘deficiencies’

Author: Agencies

Donald Trump’s administration in Washington is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban and Pakistan has been placed in a group that would be considered for a partial suspension of visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days”, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters.

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 and Yemen.

Partial visa suspension (tourist, student and some other visas affected): Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan.

Countries recommended for a partial suspension if they do not address deficiencies within 60 days: 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 and Vanuatu.

A US official speaking on the condition of anonymity cautioned there could be changes on the list and that it was yet to be approved by the administration, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The New York Times first reported on the list of countries.

The move harkens back to President Donald Trump’s first term 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.

Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified 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.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Pakistan

itel launches power 70 in Pakistan: say goodbye to battery anxiety—sukoon hai with a 10,000mAh mega battery!

itel, a global leader in affordable smart technology, has officially launched the itel Power 70…

4 hours ago
  • Pakistan

Pakistan and Russia strengthen naval ties with successful arabian Monsoon-VI exercise

The Pakistan Navy (PN) and the Russian Federation Navy (RFN) completed the successful Arabian Monsoon-VI…

4 hours ago
  • Sports

Haris Rauf rises, Shaheen Afridi drops in latest ICC t20 rankings

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf has made a notable rise in the ICC T20I rankings, moving up…

4 hours ago
  • World

Disaster at sea: Six dead and dozens missing in migrant boat tragedy

  A tragic shipwreck in the Mediterranean left six people dead and 40 missing, the…

5 hours ago
  • Pakistan

Torkham border reopens after nearly a month of closure due to clashes

Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened their main border crossing, the Torkham border, on Wednesday. The border…

5 hours ago
  • Pakistan

President Zardari vows to win war against terrorism during visit to Quetta

President Asif Ali Zardari visited Quetta on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing security challenges in…

5 hours ago