Trump Adds Six More Countries to Controversial Travel Ban
150 million people would be affected if all seven countries are added. (Cr: Reuters)
By: Julian Mok
Lexington — President Donald Trump has added six more nations to the controversial travel ban known as Executive Order 13780. The President told reporters at a news conference at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that, “We’re adding a couple of countries. We have to be safe. Our country has to be safe. You see what’s going on in the world. Our country has to be safe.” The countries added include Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar under the recommendation of the Department of Homeland Security.
First announced on January 27, 2017, the travel ban in its current form restricts visas to applicants from North Korea, Libya, Somalia, Iran, Syria, Yemen and certain Venezuelan government officials. The protocol does allow exceptions for students or those who have “significant contacts” in the US.
In fact, under the previous travel ban, 48% of applicants from the affected countries were granted visas due to exceptions and case-by-case waivers allocated by customs to otherwise banned foreigners who face “undue hardship” at home and whose entry into the US “would be in the national interest.”
Under Executive Order 13780, the US has several criteria with which to evaluate foreign countries’ security practices. Countries must comply with certain security requirements such as airport screening processes, certain counterterrorism policies and biometric standards in order to participate in US immigration programs. Those who cannot comply face the risk of being added to the list.
In his latest speech, acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, stated that, “For a small number of countries that lack either the will or the capability to adhere to these criteria, travel restrictions may become necessary to mitigate threats.”
It is unlikely a blanket ban will be implemented; however, it is very possible that visa restrictions will be placed on citizens from the six countries.
While roughly 300 million people will be affected, Nigeria is the most high-profile country in the new ban due to the significant commercial ties between the African country and the US. Nigeria is the US’s second largest trading partner, and the US is the largest foreign investor in Nigeria.
As the unofficial tech hub of Africa, Nigeria is a center for startups, rising founders and talented techies. Major financial companies like Goldman Sachs, Visa and Mastercard are heavily invested in tech companies like CcHub and Flutterwave that are headquartered or operating in Nigeria.
A ban restricting travel between the two countries would significantly hinder development in both countries, particularly in the tech industry. Bosun Tijani, the CEO of CcHub, notes that, “Nigeria’s a strategic country for well-established companies, such as Google and Facebook. Twitter’s founder visited just a few months ago,” referring to Twitter/Square CEO Jack Dorsey.
Restricting entry of Nigerians to the US could also turn more of Nigeria’s techies towards China. The Asian giant has already invested over $210 million in startups in Nigeria.
Despite the commercial ties between the US and Nigeria, the country also accounted for the third highest number of US visa overstays in 2018. Eritrea and Sudan also account for a significant number of visa overstays. A decision was reached early this week, determining to include all countries under consideration except Eastern European nation, Belarus.