President Donald Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House. He has banned the citizens of 12 countries from travelling to the US.
Share and Follow

US President Donald Trump is resurrecting the travel ban policy from his first term, signing a proclamation preventing people from a dozen countries from entering the United States.

The countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

In addition to the ban, which takes effect at 12.01am on Monday (US time), there will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

President Donald Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House. He has banned the citizens of 12 countries from travelling to the US.
President Donald Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House. He has banned the citizens of 12 countries from travelling to the US. (AP)

“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” Trump said in his proclamation.

The list results from a January 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on “hostile attitudes” toward the US and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk.

During his first term, Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the US by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency.

Travellers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the US or detained at US airports after they landed.

They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family.

The order, often referred to as the “Muslim ban” or the “travel ban,” was retooled amid legal challenges, until a version was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018.

The ban affected various categories of travellers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

Trump and others have defended the initial ban on national security grounds, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias.

However, the president had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Assassins who killed Ukraine intelligence officer 'eliminated'

Ukraine Intelligence Officer’s Assassins ‘Neutralized’

Ukraine’s Security Service says it has killed Russian special service agents suspected…
Detective reveals fresh details about missing backpacker's rescue

German Backpacker Hospitalized After Remarkable Survival Story

Friends of the German backpacker who survived 12 days lost in the…

Australia Asserts Harmony Between Industry and Rock Art Following Heritage Recognition of Ancient Site

Key Points Murujuga, a peninsula in north-west WA near Karratha, contains the…
Two women killed in church shooting

Tragic Church Shooting Claims the Lives of Two Women

One woman aged 72 and another aged 32 have been killed in…

Envoy Against Antisemitism Refutes Connection to Spouse’s Trust Donation to Anti-Immigrant Organization

The federal government’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, has distanced…

Australian Cyclist Sarah Gigante Triumphs in Giro d’Italia after Surgery Recovery

Sarah Gigante has completed her dazzling maiden Giro d’Italia by finishing third…
King Charles III to host Trump at Windsor Castle

King Charles III to Welcome Trump at Windsor Castle

King Charles III will host Donald Trump at Windsor Palace during the…
The mangled car remained on scene in Roxburgh Park while detectives investigated.

Police Hunt for Weapon Linked to Car Crash Victim Found Shot

Police are searching parklands for a weapon after a man was found…