4 informed sources said that the move is being taken after the government reviews the security and screening systems of various countries
Daily Dawn Staff Reporter + Dawn TV Report
Washington: Under a new travel ban ordered by US President Donald Trump, citizens of Afghanistan and Pakistan may be barred from entering the US from next week.
4 informed sources have told the British news agency Reuters that the move is being taken after the government reviews the security and screening systems of various countries.
On condition of anonymity, these sources said that other countries could also be added to the list, but they do not know which countries will be affected.
The move is similar to the ban imposed on seven Muslim-majority countries during Trump’s first term, which was finally upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018 after several amendments.
Trump’s successor, former President Joe Biden, rescinded the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on the national conscience of the United States.”
The new travel ban could affect thousands of Afghan nationals who have been cleared to seek asylum in the United States on a U.S. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), or as immigrants. These individuals are at risk of retaliatory attacks by the Taliban because they served during the 20-year war with the United States.
Trump issued an executive order on January 20, ordering stricter security checks on all foreigners seeking entry into the United States to identify any potential national security threats.
The order directed several Cabinet members to submit by March 12 a list of countries from which travel should be partially or completely suspended, citing inadequate testing and screening data.
Three sources and one person, who asked not to be identified, said Afghanistan would be added to the list of countries recommended for a complete travel ban.
The three sources added that Pakistan would also be recommended for inclusion on the list.
The State Department, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which are overseeing the move, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Leave a Reply