An executive order from President Trump to be signed this week is expected to add Afghanistan to the original travel ban from 2017 that applied to seven mainly-muslim countries.
The new order could add Afghanistan to the list of those subjected to restricted travel to the U.S: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
As well as red, proposed categories within the order include “orange”-level countries that would face enhanced screening and “yellow”-level countries required to improve security measures.
The order stems from an initiative begun in January to create a comprehensive list of countries with inadequate vetting and screening for immigration.
The 2017 travel ban had previously faced legal challenges but was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 after 18 months of revisions and court reversals, paving the way for possible changes in 2025.
A memo from the White House lists 41 countries divided into three separate groups.
- 11 countries set for a full visa suspension: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.,
- 10 countries set for partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions. Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan.
- 26 countries considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days” : Angola, Antigua, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo Republic, DR Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe
