New Delhi : US President Donald Trump has announced a further tightening of immigration policy, citing national security and public safety concerns. On Tuesday, December 16, the Trump administration imposed a complete travel ban on seven more countries and Palestinians. In addition, partial restrictions have been announced on the entry of citizens from 15 other countries. The Trump administration had previously imposed similar restrictions on 24 countries. With this new order, the total number of countries facing travel bans or entry restrictions by the US has increased to 39. It is believed that this ban was imposed in light of the recent terrorist attack in Australia, which killed more than 12 people.
According to a White House fact sheet, these expanded travel bans and entry restrictions will come into effect on January 1. The administration says the move was taken due to weak visa screening systems, high visa overstay rates, and the threat of terrorist activities.
Under this new order, a complete travel ban has been imposed on Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, while Palestinians holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority have also been added to the restricted list. Furthermore, complete travel bans have now been imposed on Laos and Sierra Leone, which previously faced only partial restrictions.