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Travel + Leisure
8 hours ago
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
Trump Imposes New Travel Ban on 12 Countries—Here's What Travelers Need to Know
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced a travel ban on citizens entering the U.S. from 12 countries, along with severe restrictions on those traveling from seven additional nations. According to the announcement by the White House, nationals from Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are banned from entering the United States effective 12:01 a.m. on June 9. Those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will also face heightened restrictions. "In Executive Order 14161 of January 20, 2025 (Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats), I stated that it is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes," Trump shared in the announcement. "I also stated that the United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests." For Americans, the U.S. State Department has travel advisories with a "Do Not Travel" list. Of the travel ban nations, several countries have a level 4 travel rating: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen. That said, the travel advisory is a suggestion and Americans are not banned by the U.S. government for entering the aforementioned countries. According to the Associated Press, many of the countries on the new ban list were also included in Trump's travel ban during his first term. The AP also reported that Trump shared an additional message on social media tying the travel ban to a terrorism attack in Colorado on Sunday, in which a man threw a gasoline bomb into a gathering of pro-Israel demonstrators. However, the suspect in that incident is Egyptian, which does not appear on this new list of banned countries. Several aid groups have already condemned the ban, with Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, telling the AP, "This policy is not about national security—it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States." Shawn VanDiver, the president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac, a nonprofit assisting in the resettlement of Afghans in the United States, shared in a statement with multiple outlets that while the Trump administration has made an exception for special immigrant visas for Afghans who were employed by the U.S. government, that still leaves "tens of thousands of Afghans with pending cases—especially family members—[who] will now be blocked from reaching safety, regardless of their loyalty to the United States or prior vetting." He added, "To include Afghanistan—a nation whose people stood alongside American service members for 20 years—is a moral disgrace. It spits in the face of our allies, our veterans, and every value we claim to uphold." Some nations also appear unfazed about the ban or restrictions. According to CNN, Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Minister of Interior, Justice, and Peace, shared on local television that traveling to or being in the U.S." ... is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans ... They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason." Cabello added, "If you're really that foolish, then go to the United States."
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Administration Live Updates: President Bans Citizens of 12 Countries From Entering U.S.
In recent years, people in Myanmar have endured a military coup, civil war, enforced conscription, aerial bombardment and a devastating earthquake. A new hardship landed Thursday morning, as President Trump ordered a sweeping travel ban that included the citizens of Myanmar. The action is an effort to stop immigration from nations that Mr. Trump deemed to have a 'large-scale presence of terrorists,' among other concerns. The travel ban, announced by the president on Wednesday night in Washington, is set to take effect on Monday. It applies to the people of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Many of these countries have been wracked by conflict, while others are ruled by repressive regimes. In both cases, Mr. Trump's proclamation closes the door on those hoping to flee to the United States to build new lives. Citizens of seven other countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela — will be barred from entering the United States on tourist and student visas. They also will not be able to settle permanently in the U.S. Image In Yangon, Myanmar, in March. Credit... Sai Aung Main/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 'We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,' Mr. Trump said in a message on social media. 'As soon as I woke up, bad news was already waiting for me,' said Ko Min Nwe, a 35-year-old accountant in Myanmar who last month won a U.S. immigration lottery that put him on the path for a green card next year. 'Being a Myanmar citizen means that wherever we go, we face discrimination and now, even this rare stroke of luck feels like it's been stolen from me.' Mr. Trump said that his new travel restrictions also apply to countries that do not have proper ways to vet travelers to the United States, that have a track record of citizens who overstay their American visas and that have not easily accepted back their nationals. But the restrictions overwhelmingly target nations with vulnerable populations eager for sanctuary in the U.S. 'This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,' said Abby Maxman, the president of Oxfam America, the charity dedicated to fighting global inequality and poverty. The ban provides for certain exceptions. For instance, Afghans can still apply for special visas designed to safeguard those who worked for the U.S. government or military as translators and other assistants before the American withdrawal in 2021. Legal permanent residents of the United States are exempt from the order. So are athletes and their entourages visiting for major sporting events. Adoptions from the restricted nations will be allowed. Image Afghan women receiving food aid in Kabul last month. Credit... Wakil Kohsar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images During his first term, Mr. Trump imposed a series of travel bans on mostly Muslim-majority nations, some of which were countered by the courts. Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. revoked the immigration restrictions when he took office, calling them 'a stain on our national conscience.' Hashmat, an Afghan journalist, said he had been granted a visa to go to the United States, after enduring a month in a Taliban prison for his reporting. He is now in hiding. The new travel ban, which appears to apply to the type of visa he received, has left him with no hope, said Mr. Hashmat, who goes by only one name. 'I devoted 14 years of my life working with respected media outlets to promote democracy, freedom of speech and global values — values I believed the U.S. shared,' he said. 'Today, I suffer because of those very values.' Some of the countries affected by Mr. Trump's latest travel order reacted quickly, vowing to tackle problems. Somalia, according to Mr. Trump's proclamation, was targeted because it lacks a central authority that can properly screen travelers and it is a 'terrorist safe haven.' 'Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,' Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the U.S., said in a statement. Myanmar erupted into full-blown civil war four years ago, following a military coup that ousted an elected government. Criminal networks in the country's poorly governed borderlands have filled war chests and flooded the world with synthetic drugs, cyberscams and dubiously sourced minerals. Still, there is scant evidence that Myanmar is exporting terrorism, much less to the United States. Most immigrants from Myanmar arrived in the United States as refugees escaping persecution. Waves of immigration to the United States by Myanmar nationals have followed moments of political turmoil, such as crackdowns on democracy movements in 1988 and 2007. More recently, more than 3.5 million people in Myanmar, out of a population of about 55 million, have been uprooted from their homes because of the civil war. Millions more have sought shelter abroad, mostly in neighboring Thailand and Bangladesh. Image A refugee from the Mae La camp in Myanmar after being transferred to a hospital in Thailand in February. Credit... Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Starting last July, a resettlement initiative brought Myanmar refugees living in camps in Thailand to the United States. But that program has effectively stopped since Mr. Trump's second inauguration. American aid for Myanmar refugees in Thailand and Bangladesh has been slashed, too; without access to medical care, babies and elderly patients have died, doctors say. From 2005 to 2015, about 100,000 refugees from camps in Thailand were resettled overseas, mostly in the United States, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Myanmar is now a fractured nation. Most of the heartland of the country is controlled by the military junta, while ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces have carved out territory in the vast outer areas. Airstrikes by the Myanmar military have destroyed hundreds of villages. Thousands of people have been imprisoned and tortured for daring to oppose the military junta and call for democracy. Since the coup in 2021, the United States has imposed sanctions on top junta officials and the business cronies who prop them up. But some critics say Washington's actions don't have enough bite. Ma Mya Thiri Lwin, 24, was accepted at a college in Minnesota to study computer science beginning in August. As part of a large student-led boycott of government institutions, she had not attended university in Myanmar. Now, she said, her dreams of one day working in Silicon Valley have withered. 'It feels like Myanmar is cursed,' she said, learning that Mr. Trump's travel ban included her homeland. 'Even the U.S., which claims to be a stronghold of human rights, has turned a blind eye to people like us who are poor, oppressed and at risk.' Safiullah Padshah and Mike Ives contributed reporting.
SBS Australia
19 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Donald Trump signs order banning people from a dozen countries from entering US
Donald Trump has signed a ban on travel to the US from 12 countries and restrictions on seven more, citing national security risks. Source: Getty / Kevin Dietsch United States President Donald Trump is resurrecting the travel ban policy from his first term, signing a proclamation preventing people from a dozen countries from entering the US. The 12 countries are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. In addition to the ban, which takes effect on Monday, there will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. "I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people," Trump said in his proclamation. The list follows an executive order Trump issued in January requiring the departments of state and homeland security and the director of national intelligence to compile a report on "hostile attitudes" toward the US and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk. The countries facing the total ban were found "to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States," according to a statement provided by the White House. During his first term, Trump issued an executive order banning travel to the US by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his earlier presidency. Travellers from those nations were either barred from boarding their flights to the US or detained at US airports upon arrival. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family. The order, often referred to as the "Muslim ban" or the "travel ban", was retooled amid legal challenges until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The ban affected various categories of travellers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. Former US president Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it "a stain on our national conscience". Trump and others have defended the initial ban on national security grounds, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias. But he had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House.
Associated Press
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Trump announces travel ban affecting a dozen countries set to go into effect Monday
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is resurrecting the travel ban policy from his first term, signing a proclamation Wednesday night preventing people from a dozen countries from entering the United States. The countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. In addition to the ban, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, there will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. 'I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,' Trump said in his proclamation. The list results from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on 'hostile attitudes' toward the U.S. and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk. During his first term, Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family. The order, often referred to as the 'Muslim ban' or the 'travel ban,' was retooled amid legal challenges, until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The ban affected various categories of travelers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. Trump and others have defended the initial ban on national security grounds, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias. However, the president had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of President Donald Trump at ___ Amiri reported from the United Nations.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Starmer urged to intervene in ‘never-ending nightmare' of Aung San Suu Kyi and people of Myanmar
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to personally intervene in the 'unspeakable tragedy' developing in Myanmar and to meet the British son of Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been imprisoned by the country's military junta. The call comes in a new report which highlights the plight of Ms Suu Kyi and 22,000 other political prisoners, after a coup which overthrew her democratically elected government four years ago. It also shines a spotlight on the army's airstrikes and ground attacks against civilians and details atrocities including massacres, beheadings, executions, rapes and tortures. Nobel Peace Prize winner Ms Suu Kyi, who is facing 27 years in jail, became a deeply divisive and controversial figure after refusing to speak out on her country's extreme violence against its Rohingya Muslim minority. In an Independent TV documentary about her fall from grace, entitled Cancelled: The Rise and Fall of Aung San Suu Kyi, William Hague, who welcomed her to London in 2012 said it was possible to be critical of the country's former leader, 'but also say we should be campaigning for her release'. Earlier this year David Lammy issued a historic and impassioned plea for her freedom in this newspaper. In a major intervention, the foreign secretary for the first time made a direct appeal to the military to let her go and give the country's people 'the peace and democracy they deserve'. Tim Loughton, a former Tory minister and the chair of the Conservative Party's Human Rights Commission, which compiled the report, said its findings were an 'urgent wake-up call for action to address the egregious human rights crisis in Myanmar, which has been compounded over the past two months by the devastating earthquake which hit the country on 28 March. He said: 'The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has described the situation as 'an unspeakable tragedy', hence the title of the report. 'He has also called it 'a never-ending nightmare' which has seen 'inhumanity in its vilest form' leading to 'unbearable levels of suffering and cruelty'. It is high time the international community, led by the United Kingdom, steps up its efforts to bring this nightmare to an end and hold the perpetrators of such inhumanity, cruelty, barbarity and criminality to account.' Among those who testified to the commission were Ms Suu Kyi's son, Kim Aris, her former economic policy adviser, Professor Sean Turnell, who spent 650 days in jail in Myanmar and the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. The report calls on the government to 'stand more vociferously and proactively by the people of Myanmar at a time where the country experiences an unspeakable tragedy'. It also calls for international action to enforce a global arms embargo and cut financial support to the military dictatorship. The commission called on the UK to urgently convene a UN Security Council session on Myanmar. Mr Lammy joined three former British foreign secretaries in calling for Ms Suu Kyi's release, including Lord Hague, who also described her as a 'political prisoner on trumped-up charges' imprisoned because she was a 'force for democracy'. Ms Suu Kyi raised two children, Kim and his brother Alexander, in the UK after studying at Oxford and marrying a British academic, Michael Aris. She returned to Myanmar in 1988, initially to nurse her sick mother before becoming swept up in the pro-democracy movement in the country. Between 1989 to 2010 she became famous around the world as she spent nearly 15 years under house arrest. But after elections in 2015, the junta allowed her to become the country's de facto leader, although only if they kept control of key ministries, including home affairs, defence and border control, as well as the military budget.
