US mulls new travel banks against over 40 countries: Media

WASHINGTON: The administration of US President Donald Trump is mulling new travel bans against 43 countries, including a possible pause of processing visa applications from Afghanistan, Iran and Syria, reported Xinhua, citing local media on Friday.

US diplomatic and security officials have drafted a list of the countries targeted, with varied travel bans for three categories, according to the report by The New York Times.

Under the new plan, a full ban on entry is suggested against 11 countries, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Meanwhile, it denies the entry on immigrant or tourist visa of nationals from Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and Pakistan, among other countries.

Travellers from countries like Angola, Benin, or Cambodia will be affected if their government fails to seriously improve the practices the US side says are deficient within 60 days, according to the report.

The report said the list was drafted by the State Department several weeks ago, with changes to be made possibly before being submitted to the White House, citing anonymous sources.

Trump signed an executive order after taking office on Jan 20, requiring the State Department to produce within 60 days such a list of countries "for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries".

-- BERNAMA