Washington, Mar 15 (UNI) The Trump administration has placed Bhutan on a draft ‘Red List’ of countries, along with 11 others, for a complete travel ban to the USA, while Pakistan has been placed in a group that will be considered for a partial suspension of visa issuance, according to a report.
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a draft list of 43 countries, including Afghanistan, Bhutan and Pakistan, for a series of travel restrictions, The New York Times reported.
The 43 countries are divided into three colour lists of Red, Orange and Yellow.
The draft Red List of 11 countries will have a complete travel ban and their citizens would be barred from entering the US. These countries are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
The list has been developed by the State Department, and that changes were likely by the time it reaches the White House.
For countries on the draft “orange” list of 10 countries, travel would be restricted but not cut off. In those cases, affluent business travellers might be allowed to enter, but not people traveling on immigrant or tourist visas.
Citizens on that draft list would be subjected to mandatory in-person interviews in order to receive a visa. The list includes Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan.
Countries in the draft “yellow” list of 22 countries would be given 60 days to clear up perceived deficiencies, with the threat of being moved onto one of the other lists if they did not comply.
The issues could include failing to share with the United States information about incoming travelers, purportedly inadequate security practices for issuing passports, or the selling of citizenship to people from banned countries, which could serve as a loophole around the restrictions.
The list includes Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.
However, Reuters has cited a different listing of countries.
According to the Reuters, the Trump administration memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups.
The first group of 10 countries for full visa comprises: Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela. It does not mention Bhutan.
The second list for partial visa suspension (tourist, student and some other visas affected), mentions five countries: Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, South Sudan
The third list of 26 Countries recommended for a partial suspension if they do not address deficiencies are: 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.
According to Reuters, 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.
President 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.
Trump's directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term
UNI RN