Trump expands US travel ban to 6 more countries

iStock/Eblis

The Trump administration's controversial travel ban has now been expanded to include Nigeria and five other countries.

Starting February 21, immigration restrictions will be imposed on Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar, with US officials explaining that they failed to meet security standards.

Belarus, which had been under consideration for inclusion, did not make it to the list as it took steps to remedy deficiencies in recent months.

Temporary visas for tourists, business people, students and workers from those nations will remain unaffected.

The US will also stop issuing "diversity visas" to nationals of Sudan and Tanzania.

Critics had earlier criticised US President Donald Trump's 2017 travel ban on Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela as discriminatory. 

More from International News

  • Israeli attacks on Gaza killed 60 people in 24 hours

    Israeli occupation forces committed multiple massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the killing of at least 60 Palestinians and the injury of 162 others, according to medical reports.

  • Trump fires National Security Agency director

    U.S. President Donald Trump fired General Timothy Haugh as director of the National Security Agency on Thursday, according to two officials familiar with the decision, and congressional Democrats denounced the removal of the nonpartisan official from a top security post.

  • Israel steps up Syria strikes, says Turkey aims for 'protectorate'

    Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new rulers in Damascus as it accused their ally Turkey of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.

  • US sending Israel 20,000 assault rifles that Biden delayed

    The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 US-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters, pushing ahead with a sale that the administration of former president Joe Biden had delayed.

Blogs