Rabat – The United States is considering implementing severe entry restrictions for travelers from 43 countries.
According to a report published Friday by The New York Times, the proposal categorizes nations into three tiers of restrictions, citing unnamed officials as sources.
Countries classified in the “red” category would face a complete ban on entry to the US. This group includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The “orange” category would impose significant visa restrictions on citizens from Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.
The New York Times notes that “affluent business travelers might be allowed to enter, but not people traveling on immigrant or tourist visas.”
Meanwhile, citizens from orange-listed countries would be required to undergo in-person interviews to obtain visas.
Twenty-two other countries placed on the “yellow” list would have 60 days to address questions from US authorities or risk being moved to a more restrictive category.
Officials cautioned “that the list had been developed by the State Department several weeks ago, and that changes were likely by the time it reached the White House.”
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has frozen nearly all US foreign aid as well as refugee admission programs.
On January 20, he issued an executive order requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats.
He has also directed his administration to identify countries whose citizens should be barred from entering the US for security reasons.
The measure is part of Trump’s immigration crackdown since the start of his second term. He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”
During his previous term, Trump signed an executive order in 2017 banning entry to the US for citizens of several predominantly Muslim countries, including war-torn Syria.
