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Trump Slams Visa Ban On Nigeria, Five Other Countries

US President Donald Trump has implemented his threat to restrict the ability of immigrants to travel to the United States from Nigeria and five other countries.

The visa ban will be effective from 22 February.

According to reports from Washington D.C, Trump will sign a proclamation approving the restrictions on Friday afternoon.

The proclamation will curb the ability of citizens of Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania to get certain immigration visas, according to officials with the Department of Homeland Security and State Department, but it is not a blanket travel ban.

The targeted immigrant visas are distinct from non-immigrant visas typically issued to visitors, which will not be impacted by the ban.

The U.S. government will also stop issuing ‘diversity visas’ to nationals of Sudan and Tanzania

Read Also: Trump Plans To Include Nigeria On Travel Ban List

The officials cited national security concerns in identifying those countries, saying those governments do not meet requirements for information-sharing and passport security.

The announcement comes just over three years after Trump first announced he would impose a travel ban targeted at several Muslim-majority nations.

An altered version of that ban was later upheld by the Supreme Court, and travel from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, North Korea, Venezuela and Yemen is still restricted.

The hill.com reported that the expanded ban is certain to be challenged in courts.

It said that former diplomats have expressed confusion over the inclusion of Nigeria in particular, warning that restricting travel from some of those countries will harm American interests.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Homeland Security officials would work with the countries on bolstering their security requirements to help them work to get off the list.

“These countries for the most part want to be helpful, they want to do the right thing, they have relationships with the U.S., but for a variety of different reasons failed to meet those minimum requirements,” Wolf said.

28th March 2024
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