The US government said many of the countries with travel restrictions had ‘widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records’
This Tuesday (16), the government extended the ban on entry to citizens of five countries, in addition to completely restricting the entry of people with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. The move is part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration.
The Trump administration said on Tuesday that many of the countries with travel restrictions had “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records” that made it difficult for their citizens to evaluate themselves for travel to the United States.
“The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States does not have sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, obtain cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,” says the White House document announcing the changes.
The countries included in the list are:
- Burkina Faso
- Mali
- Niger
- South Sudan
- Syria
The move is part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration. The decision follows the arrest of an Afghan man suspected in the shooting of two National Guard members over Thanksgiving weekend near the White House. The suspect pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and assault.
In June, Trump announced that citizens of several countries would be denied entry and that those of seven others would face restrictions. The decision resurrected an emblematic policy of his first term. .
