The administration of former US President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing a new travel ban that could affect citizens from 43 countries. According to The New York Times, the proposed ban categorizes nations into three groups—Red, Orange, and Yellow—each facing different levels of travel restrictions.
How the Ban is Structured
A draft list of recommendations from security officials suggests:
- Red List: A complete travel ban, prohibiting entry into the US.
- Orange List: Restricted travel, with limitations on visas and mandatory in-person interviews.
- Yellow List: A warning category, giving countries 60 days to improve security measures or face restrictions.
Countries on the Red List
Ten nations are expected to face a full visa suspension under the Red List, including:
- Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
Citizens from these countries would be barred entirely from entering the US unless granted a special exemption.
Orange List: Partial Restrictions
Pakistan and Russia, along with Myanmar, Belarus, Haiti, Laos, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan, are reportedly placed on the Orange List.
While an outright ban is not imposed, these countries will face:
- Stricter visa approval processes
- Mandatory in-person interviews
- Limitations on immigrant and tourist visas
- Possible exceptions for wealthy business travelers
Yellow List: A Warning for 22 Nations
The Yellow List includes 22 countries that have been given 60 days to enhance security cooperation with the US. Failure to comply could result in placement on the Red or Orange lists.
Nations on the Yellow List include:
- Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.
The concerns leading to this categorization reportedly involve:
- Failure to share traveler information with the US
- Weak passport security practices
- Selling citizenship to individuals from banned nations
Trump’s History with Travel Bans
This would be Trump’s second travel ban, following his first-term policy in 2017 that targeted seven Muslim-majority countries—Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The policy faced legal challenges but was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018.
