Which Countries And People Are Included
The ban applies to foreign nationals who have been in the 26 countries that make up the Schengen Area the European zone that allows free and open movement across borders during the past two weeks.
Those countries are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The ban excludes countries in Europe that arent part of the Schengen Area, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the U.K.
On Thursday, Trump said he exempted the U.K. because he believes it is doing a good job in fighting the spread of the coronavirus. Health experts disagree, however, and many people have pointed out that the president owns three golf resorts in the U.K. and Ireland.
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, as well as the spouses, parents and children under age 21 of citizens and permanent residents, are exempt from the ban.
Muslims Allies Advocates And Others Across The Country Continue To Challenge The Banand We Have A Solution
Communities across the country will not stop working to end the Muslim banand any racist ban put forward by this administration, including its attacks on the asylum system.
In addition to challenging the ban in the courts, we continue to advocate for a legislative solution. Members of Congress have acted by introducing the NO BAN Act . The current bills would end the Muslim, refugee, and asylum bans by preventing future presidents from targeting people based on religion or other criteria.
All of us deserve to feel safe from hatred and to live and pray in peace.
Use our resources to help spread the message: The Muslim ban has no place in our societynot now, not ever:
What Will Airlines Do
Most US airlines have already had to significantly reduce their schedules amid coronavirus fears this new advisory will impact them even more heavily. United Airlines, for example, had already said it would cut the number of international flights in April by 20 per cent that number will surely only go up.
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Why Were Those Countries Chosen
The latest travel ban says that the countries “remain deficient at this time with respect to their identity-management and information-sharing capabilities, protocols, and practices. In some cases, these countries also have a significant terrorist presence within their territory”.
Critics have noted that major attacks such as the 9/11 New York attacks, the Boston marathon bombing and the Orlando nightclub attack were carried out by people from countries not on the list, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kyrgyzstan, or by US-born attackers.
How Biden Could Make Amends For The Travel Ban
While Wednesdays news may come as a relief to those affected by the travel ban, its clear that ending the ban is only the beginning of the process of dismantling one of Trumps cruelest immigration policies.
Although legal immigrants now have a greater chance of being approved for a visa, the Trump administration has imposed other barriers, from implementing extreme vetting of their applications to expanding biometrics requirements.
People harmed by the ban will still need to navigate a bureaucratic minefield made even more treacherous by the Trump administration, Khera said. The Biden administration must take sweeping administrative action to clear away these hurdles and reunite families as soon as humanly possible.
Immigrant advocates are calling on the Biden administration to increase refugee admissions from affected countries. Trump slashed the overall refugee admissions cap to 15,000 this year and all but suspended refugee admissions from Yemen, Somalia, and Syria on the basis of perceived terrorism risks. Biden has vowed to raise the refugee cap to 125,000 but hasnt identified whether people of certain nationalities will be prioritized for admission.
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How Effective Could This Ban Be
Public health experts have criticized Trumps decision to focus his coronavirus response on foreign travel bans when the illness is already spreading within communities in the U.S.
The U.S. problem is not anymore about trying to reduce virus importation. Its about how on earth are you going to manage the spread within your population, Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, told Time.
Trumps former homeland security adviser Tom Bossert called the restrictions a poor use of time and energy with little value. Others questioned the decision to continue allowing travelers from London Heathrow, one of the worlds busiest airports.
Indeed, all the travel bans in the world cant stop the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. if people here arent able to be tested for the virus. Test kit shortages remain the biggest barrier to tracking and slowing the spread of the disease.
CORONAVIRUS IS ALREADY HERE, Rep. Ted Lieu tweeted after Trump announced his European ban. What we need are test kits.
As Trump Travel Ban Takes Effect Thursday Many Questions Still Up In Air
The Trump administration’s travel restrictions blocking foreigners from six Muslim-majority countries and refugees fleeing persecution will take effect Thursday, following the Supreme Courts decision earlier this week to temporarily uphold portions of the ban.
David Lapan, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, confirmed to NBC News Wednesday evening that the order “will begin to be implemented tomorrow and detailed guidance will be provided to DHS professionals.”
A senior administration official told NBC News that it’s likely the ban won’t go into effect until the evening.
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Things To Know About The Muslim Ban
| By Peniel Ibe, Feb 21, 2020
Learn more: “Biden’s changes to the immigration system explained.”
Three years after President Trump first issued his Muslim banan executive order banning travel from several mostly Muslim countriesits dangerous impacts continue to grow, further institutionalizing xenophobia and Islamophobia in the U.S.
At the start of 2020, the Trump administration announced it would expand the ban, which would affect six more countries in Africa and Asia, effective Feb. 21.
While the Muslim ban has gotten less attention in the mediaamid other attacks on immigration as well as the impeachment proceedingswe must continue our efforts to stop this racist policy, in any form it takes.
Heres what you need to know:
How Does The Process Of Granting Exceptions Work
The United States government says it has a comprehensive system for issuing what are known as waivers to people from the affected countries who need visas. It has described the criteria for waivers in broad terms, based on whether denying entry to an applicant would cause undue hardship, whether the applicant represents a security threat and whether entry would be in the national interest.
The granting of waivers, the order said, is left to the discretion of consular officers responsible for reviewing applications.
Getting a waiver does not itself guarantee entry. A successful applicant for a waiver must still seek a visa.
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Streets Of Italy Empty In Coronavirus Lockdown
AFP/Getty
Delta is likely to be hardest hit, as it has the highest number of non-UK/Ireland transatlantic flights, according to Forbes.
IAG, the airline group that includes British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, has the highest number of US-Europe flights a day. Although the majority of these go to or from the UK, which isnt included in the ban, it is still likely to be adversely affected by the ban, as Aer Lingus and British Airways carry substantial numbers of passengers from their home hubs in Ireland and London to the rest of Europe.
Which Countries Does The Ban Apply To
The Schengen area countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The UK and Ireland are exempt. As are other European countries that are not in the Schengen area, including Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.
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How Many People Will The Travel Ban Affect
The Trump Administration policy will exacerbate the suffering of an estimated 60,000 vulnerable refugees who have been security vetted and are awaiting resettlement to the U.S.
Some 65 million people are currently displaced around the world. We are facing the most serious displacement crisis weve known since World War II.
For example, after six years of war in Syria, its neighbors can no longer absorb more refugees. The need for resettlement in safe third states is more necessary than ever so President Trumpsrefugee policies will affect the lives of the few given this chance in the U.S.
Why Did The Travel Ban Name Syrian Refugees Specifically
On the campaign trail and now in the White House, Trump has made unfounded claims that refugees from war-torn Syria are a security threat. He has called them a Trojan Horse that would make America vulnerable to terrorism.
In fact, refugees coming to the U.S. are fleeing the same violent extremism that the U.S. and its allies are fighting in the Middle East and elsewhere. Based on recent data, the majority of those selected for resettlement in America are women and children.
Approximately 10,000 of the refugees who arrived in the U.S. in 2016 were from Syria. Syrian refugees must already go through an additional layer of screening on top of the already-rigorous vetting all refugees go through. This “enhanced review” process creates extra review steps with intelligence agencies and Department of Homeland Security officers who have particular expertise and training in conditions in Syria and the Middle East.
These additional reviews must take place before the refugee officer conducts the final in-person interview. This means that not only is there an extra layer of scrutinywhich the government believes is necessary because of the complexity of the conflict in Syriabut the process may also take longer due to this extra step.
This enhanced review makes it even more difficult for those who would do America harm to get through, while making it a more arduous process for all of the innocent refugees.
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How Many People Have Been Granted Waivers
Its difficult to answer from government databases, but there are indications that only a small fraction of applicants are getting them.
A State Department response to an inquiry by Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, an outspoken opponent of the ban, provided some insight. On the same day the Supreme Court announced its decision, Mr. Van Hollen the State Department response, which showed that out of 33,176 waiver applications received through April 30, only 579 had been granted, about 2 percent.
Trumps Expanded Travel Ban: Which Countries Are Affected
Trump added 6 nations to his travel ban. Here is a look at which countries are included and what the restrictions mean.
US President Donald Trump has expanded his controversial travel ban, often referred to by critics as a Muslim ban, to target citizens from six additional countries.
The move on Friday was slammed by immigrant advocates and critics who say the policy discriminates against Muslims and others.
The announcement comes three years after Trump sparked outrage by signing an executive order suspending immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. That travel ban, which caused chaos and protests at airports, was challenged in the courts and eventually amended to target five Muslim-majority countries Yemen, Syria, Iran, Libya and Somalia as well put restrictions on nationals from Venezuela and North Korea.
The Trump administration maintains that the six additional countries Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania failed to meet US security and information-sharing standards, which necessitated the new restrictions. The problems officials cited ranged from subpar passport technology to a failure to sufficiently exchange information on terrorism suspects and criminals. The restrictions on the six new countries will take effect on February 21.
Here is a look at which countries are included in the expanded travel ban and what restrictions have been put in place.
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New Advisory Means Foreign Nationals From Schengen Countries Cant Enter Us
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A new travel advisory issued by President Trump on Wednesday night has banned entry to the US for foreign nationals who have visited European countries in the last two weeks.
The ban, which is aimed at quelling the spread of coronavirus in the States, applies to those who have been to countries within the Schengen Area, but not to the UK and Ireland.
Legal permanent US residents and the immediate family members of US citizens will still be permitted entry back into the States.
Although information is scant about how the ban will be implemented in practical terms, heres everything we know so far about what it means for travellers.
The Muslim Ban Is Part Of The Trump Administrations Increased Attacks On Communities Of Color Immigrants And Muslims
Since taking office, Trump has worked to dramatically reduce immigration to the United States, particularly of people of colorby keeping Muslims and other people out, deporting people who are here, and creating an atmosphere of nativism and fear. In fact, the most recent expansion of the Muslim ban has led some advocates to criticize the policy as an African ban.
Whats more, the administration set the refugee admissions goal for this fiscal year at 18,000the lowest level in U.S. history. This new number will extremely reduce the number of refugees coming from countries in the Middle East and Africa, exacerbating the horrific impacts of the Muslim ban.
Last fall, the administration also issued an executive order allowing state and local officials to block refugee resettlement in their communities, a decision akin to promoting racial segregation and restricting rights to freedom of movement based on ones immigration status.
Although the policy was temporarily halted by the courts, if implemented, it could affect currently settled refugees who live in areas that apply the policy and are hoping to be reunited with their loved ones. It will also force refugees to choose between settling in areas that provide resources to resettle refugees or settling in areas closer to family and an established community.
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A Lack Of Transparency
Neuman also said a lack of transparency about how border patrol agents make on-the-spot decisions at airports could further complicate matters.
Its very difficult to know whats happening with people who arrive in airports in non-public areas, Neuman said.
Despite having a visa, customs and border patrol can still lawfully prevent foreign travelers from entering the country for a range of security and public health related reasons.
Sarah Paoletti, director of the Transnational Legal Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania law school, said, beyond border patrol agents, she fears airlines may refuse to issue tickets if they believe foreign travelers lack a credible tie to the United States.
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How will the airlines and Customs and Border Patrol treat arriving immigrants from any one of these countries? Paoletti asked. The airlines dont know immigration law and are now left to figure out what this all means.
Advocates point to the chaos that ensued in January after President Trump issued his first travel ban that went into effect while many immigrant travelers were already in the air and bounded for the United States.
This time around, Paoletti thinks that travelers are more likely to face issues at their point of departure, as airlines will have to check if their travel documents meet the requirements for the issuance of a boarding pass.
