Trump is pushing forward with stricter U.S. travel restrictions, recently ordering a ban on citizens from seven more countries, including Palestine. The total number of countries with travel restrictions now approaches 40. Laos is included, but Thailand remains unaffected.
The newly fully banned countries are Laos, Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan, while Thailand is not on the banned list.
The White House stated that these measures aim to protect Americans from foreign nationals who may pose a threat or undermine the culture, government, institutions, and founding principles of the United States.
This decision reflects Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, a key campaign policy, and comes amid intensified crackdowns on illegal immigrants and large-scale deportation efforts.
The Syrian ban follows shortly after the deaths of two U.S. soldiers and one civilian in Syria, with Syrian authorities stating the attacker was a security officer about to be dismissed for extremist religious beliefs.
Meanwhile, holders of Palestinian Authority passports have faced informal travel restrictions to the U.S. previously, but this has now been elevated to an explicit ban amid the Trump administration’s pro-Israel stance and opposition to Western countries like France and the UK recognizing Palestine as a state.
Notably, many newly banned countries are poor nations in West and Central Africa, while the U.S. has imposed partial travel restrictions on other countries such as Nigeria—the most populous African country—Ivory Coast, Senegal, as well as Canada and Mexico.
Other countries facing partial travel restrictions include several African and Caribbean nations such as Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and island nations like Tonga.
Interestingly, Angola, Senegal, and Zambia were once key U.S. allies in Africa, with former President Joe Biden praising them as examples of democracy in the region.
The expanded ban has drawn heavy criticism accusing the Trump administration of discrimination against poor and non-white majority countries and reflecting an increasingly severe anti-immigrant stance. While the White House insists this is a national security issue, many warn the measures could further isolate the U.S. internationally and cause long-term diplomatic pressure.
Source:channelnewsasia
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