In continuation with the crackdown that US President Donald Trump launched on illegal immigration soon after assuming the Oval Office in January, the US is likely to introduce sweeping travel restrictions on 43 countries, including Pakistan, North Korea, and Russia, according to a media report.
A memo being prepared divides these countries into three categories, The New York Times reports.
Three categories of countries
Red List: The first group, reportedly called the ‘Red List,’ has 11 countries, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. The persons belonging to these countries are expected to be barred from travelling to the US without any exception.
Orange List: The second group, dubbed the ‘Orange List’ of countries, will face travel restrictions while travel will not be totally cut off. This group comprises 10 nations, such as Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.
Yellow List: The third category, which is named the ‘Yellow List,’ is likely to have a total of 22 countries. These countries are expected to be provided a 60-day time frame to clear up the deficiencies as perceived by the US. These countries may be transferred to the other two groups if they don’t comply with the conditions.
The countries in the ‘Yellow List’ are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe, according to a report by ToI.
Here's what a US official says
The report quotes a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity that the lists are yet to be approved by the Trump administration, including Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, hinting that further changes in the list can also not be ruled out.
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