(Adnkronos) – US President Donald Trump has signed a travel ban to the United States from 12 countries after an attack by a man, who allegedly entered the country illegally, at a rally in Colorado in support of the hostages still in the Gaza Strip.
“The recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, highlighted the extreme dangers that the entry of inadequately vetted foreign nationals poses to our country,” Trump said in a video message. In short, Trump explained, the new restrictions, which mainly affect African and Asian countries, are necessary to strengthen national security and fight terrorism.
The countries affected by the ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. According to Trump, many of the countries on the list have refused to accept the repatriation of their citizens or have experienced visa overstay rates that the administration deemed “unacceptable” and indicative of “a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration laws.”
Some countries on the list, such as Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia, reportedly have inadequate screening and vetting measures, the statement said. Seven other countries were subject to partial travel restrictions, with suspended visa programs, but without an outright ban. These are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
