Earlier this week, there were reports that Donald Trump was planning on reviving the travel ban from his first term to stop people from certain countries entering the US.
It was called a 'Muslim ban' back in Trump's first term, as most countries on the list had majority Muslim populations, and it had to go through several iterations before the US Supreme Court would allow it through.
The ban was repealed in 2021 as one of the first things Joe Biden did upon succeeding Trump in the White House, but the New York Times has now reported that the second Trump administration is considering bringing back a travel ban for certain countries.
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They report that there's a drafted list with travel for citizens of 11 countries completely banned, a further 10 with strict restrictions, and 22 more that will face demands to act within 60 days or be banned.
The full list is still a draft and subject to change if a travel ban is made official, but this is what the New York Times says is currently the situation:
Draft list of countries with all travel banned
· Afghanistan
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· Bhutan
· Cuba
· Iran
· Libya
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· North Korea
· Somalia
· Sudan
· Syria
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· Venezuela
· Yemen
Draft list of countries with visas strictly restricted
· Belarus
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· Eritrea
· Haiti
· Laos
· Myanmar
· Pakistan
· Russia
· Sierra Leone
· South Sudan
· Turkmenistan
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Draft list of countries with 60 days to address concerns
· Angola
· Antigua and Barbuda
· Benin
· Burkina Faso
· Cambodia
· Cameroon
· Cape Verde
· Chad
· Republic of Congo
· Democratic Republic of Congo
· Dominica
· Equatorial Guinea
· Gambia
· Liberia
· Malawi
· Mali
· Mauritania
· St. Kitts and Nevis
· St. Lucia
· São Tomé and Príncipe
· Vanuatu
· Zimbabwe
What the ban means for international travel
So, what could this actually mean for people trying to travel to the US?
If you're from that first chunk of countries, the 'red' list, then you can kiss the chance of getting a visa to enter the US goodbye, there would be no travel for their citizens and no chance of entry.
People journeying to the US already need a visa to travel, and if there's no chance of getting a visa then there's no chance of being allowed into the country when you arrive.
The second list is made up of 'orange' countries where certain visas may be obtainable but others will not, with the New York Times suggesting immigrant and tourist visas may be banned for citizens of these 10 countries but wealthier people may still be able to get a business visa.
Trump has previously floated the possibility of a $5 million (£3.9 million) 'gold card' visa for people to buy permanent residency in the US.
Anyone on the 'orange' list trying to get a visa would have to attend an in-person interview and be vetted before they could be granted a visa, so entry under specific circumstances would be possible but the experience is likely to be a far more difficult and time consuming process.
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The last time Trump imposed a travel ban some people from countries on the list had already stared their journey over to the US when it came into effect, meaning they were turned back when they arrived into the country.
A travel ban would not be about the country you travelled from but your own country of origin.
Meanwhile, countries on the 'yellow' list would be given a deadline of 60 days to fix problems the US believes them to have, otherwise they could be kicked onto a higher list.
Should this draft travel ban become a reality then citizens from certain countries would find it impossible to enter the US while others would have a significantly tougher time making it to America.
The US State Department did not respond to LADbible’s request for comment
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Travel, World News
Joe Harker