Market News

BY Sami Quadri

The Trump administration is weighing a new travel ban affecting dozens of countries, according to a government memo.

The proposal lists 17 countries across two main groups facing either full or partial visa suspensions. Ten countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea, would be subject to a complete visa suspension under the plan.

A second group of five countries could face partial suspensions impacting tourist, student, and certain immigrant visas.

An additional third group, comprising another 20 countries, was also identified for further assessment due to concerns their "vetting and screening information is so deficient," potentially leading to further travel restrictions.

A US official said the proposal is not yet final and could undergo changes before approval by senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The planned restrictions echo President Trump's controversial first-term travel ban targeting travellers from seven majority-Muslim nations.

Trump previewed further immigration restrictions in an October 2023 speech, promising stricter measures against people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, and Somalia, among others, as part of an immigration crackdown launched at the beginning of his second term.

The New York Times first reported details of the countries involved.

Trump initially directed officials to provide recommendations for countries where visas could be partly or fully suspended by identifying nations whose screening processes were inadequate.