Trump signs proclamation on travel restrictions into U.S. over national security concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a fresh proclamation expanding entry restrictions into the country for nationals of countries identified as high risk to U.S. national security and public safety.

This is contained in a White House fact sheet made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday.

It is titled: ‘President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States’.

According to the State Department, the move is informed by the persistent and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting and information sharing by the affected countries, which threaten U.S. national security and public safety.

It said that the proclamation also aimed to strengthen the country’s national security through what it called common sense restrictions based on data.

“Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats.

“The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.

“It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people,” it said.

The document maintained full entry restrictions on nationals from 12 countries, which were previously listed under Proclamation 10949.

They are: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

It also introduced full restrictions on five additional countries, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria.

Individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions, had now been placed under full restrictions.

Countries placed under partial entry restrictions are: Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“Many of the restricted countries suffer from widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records, and nonexistent birth-registration systems—systemically preventing accurate vetting.

“Some countries’ high visa-overstay rates and refusal to repatriate removable nationals demonstrate disregard for U.S. immigration laws and burden American enforcement resources.

“Terrorist presence, criminal activity, and extremist activity in several listed countries result in a general lack of stability and government control, which causes deficient vetting capabilities and poses direct risks to American citizens and interests when nationals from these countries are admitted to the United States,” the document said.

The fact sheet however says there are exemptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders,  athletes, diplomats, and individuals whose entry is deemed to serve U.S. interests.