Tanzania and Uganda are among the countries facing the axe as US President Donald Trump’s administration considers expanding its travel restrictions, potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States.
This is according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. The internal cable, signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlines a number of concerns.
“The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days,” the message stated, as reported by Reuters.
According to the cable, one of the concerns raised was that some of the countries listed lacked a competent or cooperative government capable of producing reliable identity documents.
US Considers Expanding Travel Ban to Tanzania, Uganda and 34 Others
Another concern was the “questionable security” of those countries’ passports.
The cable also noted that certain countries were uncooperative in facilitating the deportation of their nationals who had been ordered removed from the United States.
Additionally, citizens from some of these countries were overstaying the US visas they had been granted.
Other cited concerns included nationals from these countries being involved in acts of terrorism within the United States, as well as engaging in antisemitic and anti-American activities.
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However, the cable noted that not all of these concerns pertained to every country listed.
“We are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws,” a senior State Department official told Reuters, declining to comment on specific internal deliberations and communications.
“The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” the official added.
These countries may face restrictions if they fail to address US concerns within 60 days.
Others include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Trump Issues Travel Ban to 12 Countries
This comes after President Trump signed a proclamation earlier this month banning the entry of citizens from 12 countries, citing the need to protect the United States against “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats.
The directive is part of a broader immigration crackdown launched by the Republican president at the start of his second term.
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The measures have included the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador, many of whom are suspected of being gang members.
There have also been efforts to deny enrollment to some foreign students at U.S. universities and to deport others already studying in the country.
As of now, citizens from the following 12 countries are fully banned under the new order: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition, partial restrictions are in place for individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
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