US President Donald Trump looks on during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US.
Credit: Reuters Photo
United States President Donald Trump multiplied the list of countries that are subject to a full travel ban, on Tuesday, banning citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, from entering the US.
In a statement released by the White House, 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."
This action banned citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and those holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. It also imposes a full ban on Laos and Sierra Leone, which had been subject to partial restrictions previously.
The White House said the expanded ban goes into effect on January 1.
The other counties that have been previously affected by the ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, which was issued earlier this year.
The action comes despite Trump's promise to do everything he could to make Syria successful after landmark talks in November with the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who until recently was sanctioned by Washington as a foreign terrorist.
The White House cited visa overstay rates for Syria in its justification for the ban.
"Syria is emerging from a protracted period of civil unrest and internal strife. While the country is working to address its security challenges in close coordination with the United States, Syria still lacks an adequate central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures," the White House said.
In June, Trump signed a proclamation banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting those from seven others, saying it was necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other threats to national security. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travelers.
The travel ban remains on those twelve countries, the White House said.
Trump also added partial restrictions and entry limitations on an additional 15 countries, including Nigeria, which is under scrutiny from Trump, who in early November threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.
Countries on the US travel ban list
1. Syria
2. Burkina Faso
3. Mali
4. Niger
5. South Sudan
6. Laos
7. Sierra Leone
8. Myanmar
9. Chad
10. Republic of Congo
11. Equatorial Guinea
12. Haiti
13. Eritrea
14. Iran
15. Libya
16. Somalia
17. Sudan
18. Yemen
19. Afghanistan