Washington: President Donald Trump has reinstated a travel ban similar to the one implemented during his first term. On Wednesday night, he signed a proclamation barring entry into the United States for individuals from a dozen countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Alongside the ban, the proclamation also imposes stricter travel restrictions on visitors from several other nations, such as Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Trump indicated that the decision was driven by concerns over national security and the need to safeguard the interests of the American people. The new measures are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, AP reported.
Ten of the 19 countries under prohibitions and limitations are in Africa, with nine of them being mainly Black African countries. Several of these, like Sierra Leone, Togo, and Equatorial Guinea, are not known to have armed organisations that constitute a significant threat to the West.
The list is the result of a Jan. 20 executive order issued by Trump, which required the departments of State and Homeland Security, as well as the Director of National Intelligence, to create a report on "hostile attitudes" towards the United States and if entry from specific nations posed a national security danger.
During his first term, Trump signed an executive order in January 2017 prohibiting people from seven mostly Muslim nations from entering the United States: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.
The initial rollout of the travel ban during Donald Trump's presidency led to widespread confusion and disruption. Individuals from the affected countries were either blocked from boarding flights to the United States or detained upon arrival. Those impacted included students, educators, business travellers, tourists, and people visiting loved ones.
Commonly referred to as the “Muslim ban” or “travel ban,” the order faced a series of legal challenges, prompting revisions. A modified version was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
The policy targeted various categories of travellers and immigrants from nations such as Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, and Libya, and also included restrictions on North Koreans and certain Venezuelan officials and their families.
While Trump and his supporters argued that the ban was rooted in national security concerns, critics pointed to his earlier campaign, in which he had openly called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, raising ongoing questions about the motivations behind the policy.