Overview

President Donald Trump's administration announced an expansion of the US travel restrictions that will bar nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria — and all holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents — from entering the United States. The new measures, which move Laos and Sierra Leone to the full ban list and impose partial restrictions on 15 other countries including Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, take effect on 1 January. The White House said the steps aim to "protect the security of the United States" by addressing perceived weaknesses in overseas vetting and screening systems.

The administration cited high visa-overstay rates, unreliable civil records, corruption, terrorist activity and a lack of cooperation on deportations as reasons for the action, and pointed to a recent arrest of an Afghan suspect as an example of the security risks. This is the third travel-ban policy implemented under Mr Trump; previous versions drew protests and legal challenges but were ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court. The White House said the restrictions will remain until countries demonstrate "credible improvements" in identity management and information-sharing, while some exceptions (including lawful permanent residents, many existing visa-holders, diplomats and athletes) and case-by-case waivers will be permitted, as reported by BBC