US mulls travel ban on citizens from 43 countries, including Russia — reports

The Trump administration is considering a new travel ban that could affect citizens from up to 43 countries, meant to address “national security and public safety threat," reports claimed on Friday.

An internal memo seen by several US media outlets outlines a draft proposal for an expanded travel ban. The memo categorises countries into three tiers: red, orange, and yellow.

Citizens from the 11 countries in the "red" category would be entirely barred from entering the US. These countries include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

The list, put together by the US State Department, might be subject to change and still needs to be approved, reports noted.

Countries in the "orange" category would affect immigrant, tourist and student visas, with some exception. The list consists of Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan.

The countries in the "yellow" category would have 60 days to address concerns raised by Washington or risk being moved to one of the two more restrictive groups.

The category facing either indefinite travel ban or heavy restrictions list includes Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Vanuatu, Gambia, the Dominican Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Liberia, Mauritania, Malawi, Mali, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Chad.

The White House has not publicly commented on the reported memo.

The list comes on the back of an executive order Trump signed on 20 January, which says it would protect the country and its citizens from “aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”

The order required several cabinet members to provide recommendations on which countries should be included in the travel ban, according to reports.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump was asked which countries might be included in a new list concerning the executive order. Trump declined to answer, stating, "Wouldn’t that be a stupid thing for me to say?"

Biden repeals, Trump reinstates

During his campaign, Trump promised to reinstate the travel ban, which gained significant attention during his first term.

Back in January 2017, one week into his presidency, Trump signed an executive order titled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States."

The order barred the entry of Syrian refugees into the US and temporarily suspended entry for individuals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

His 2017 decision led to chaos at airports and sparked protests nationwide over what its detractors dubbed the "Muslim ban". Judges in several states quickly blocked the initial ban, citing discrimination against the countries on the list and violation of US immigration law.

The US Supreme Court later allowed a revised version of the ban, which continued to restrict entry for citizens from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. The Court upheld the ban in 2018.

When US President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he repealed the travel ban, describing it as "a stain on our national conscience" and inconsistent with the country's history of welcoming people of all faiths.