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The Trump administration has drafted a new travel ban that would affect at least 43 countries from entering the United States. Getty Images
Politics

New Trump travel ban would restrict or deny more than 40 nations


  • The Trump administration has drafted a new travel ban affecting at least 43 countries, splitting them into three groups: red, orange and yellow. The red list includes 11 countries whose citizens would face a complete ban, while the other two lists would face visa restrictions until a review deems otherwise.
  • The plan, developed by the State Department, was directed by an executive order from President Trump on inauguration day.
  • Security specialists and embassy officials are currently reviewing the proposal, providing comments on the accuracy of the alleged deficiencies and ensuring it avoids specific categorizations.

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The Trump administration has drafted a new travel ban that would impact at least 43 countries from entering the United States. The proposed ban would split the countries up into three groups: red, orange and yellow.

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What are the three groups?

The red list comprises 11 countries. Citizens of these countries would face a complete ban. The other two lists would face visa restrictions until a review deems otherwise, according to The New York Times.

President Donald Trump promised to reintroduce his first administration’s travel ban if re-elected. On inauguration day, he issued an executive order directing his cabinet to draft a list of countries that should face a travel ban due to deficient vetting and screening information.

Who developed the plan?

The plan was drafted by the State Department weeks ago, according to the Independent. Officials involved in the plan said it would likely be changed by the time the White House and President Trump saw it.

Who is on the red list?

The red list includes 11 countries that would be entirely barred from entering the U.S.

Those included on the red list:

  • Afghanistan
  • Bhutan
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • Libya
  • North Korea
  • Somalia
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Venezuela
  • Yemen

Who is on the orange list?

Ten other countries would be limited, but not fully banned from entering the United States. This means citizens from those countries would be required to have specific visas to enter. According to the Independent, citizens from these countries would need to sit for in-person interviews to obtain a visa.

Those included on the orange list:

  • Belarus
  • Eritrea
  • Haiti
  • Laos
  • Myanmar
  • Pakistan
  • Russia
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Sudan
  • Turkmenistan

Who is on the yellow list?

The yellow list contains 22 countries the State Department is giving 60 days to address alleged deficiencies in the country’s vetting and screening process. If these countries don’t comply, they could risk being added to the red or orange lists, according to The Times.

The yellow list includes:

  • Angola
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Cape Verde
  • Chad
  • The Republic of Congo
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Dominica
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Gambia
  • Liberia
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Vanuatu
  • Zimbabwe

What’s next?

Security specialists and embassy officials at regional State Department bureaus are reviewing the proposal. They are providing comments as to the accuracy of the alleged deficiencies and if it avoids specific categorizations, according to The Times.

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