The Donald Trump administration in the United States is considering measures to restrict the entry of citizens from 43 countries, including North Korea, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela, according to a report by The New York Times (NYT) on the 14th.
According to government officials who requested anonymity, the U.S. State Department has drafted an initial list of 43 countries for entry restrictions, which is currently being reviewed for feedback from embassies, other departments, and intelligence agencies.
The draft classifies the target countries into three categories. The first category is the 'red' list, which fully prohibits the entry of citizens from these countries into the United States.
North Korea, along with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, are included in the red list of 11 countries.
Next, Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan are on the 'orange' list, which restrictively blocks travel for 10 countries.
For these countries, wealthy individuals visiting for business purposes are allowed entry into the United States, but entry is impossible with immigration or travel visas. Additionally, citizens from these countries must undergo mandatory in-person interviews to obtain a U.S. visa.
Finally, 22 countries are on the 'yellow' list. If these countries do not resolve the issues raised by the United States within 60 days, they may be moved to the red or orange lists.
The main issues raised include a lack of information about passport holders, security flaws in the passport issuance process, and the potential for citizenship sales among citizens of restricted countries.
The State Department plans to report the finalized list, after a review process, to the White House by next week.
NYT reported that it is still unclear whether the implementation of the list would affect the validity of existing visas or permanent residency for citizens of those countries.
Additionally, the fact that the Trump administration has included Russia, with which it is attempting to improve relations, in the restricted list could also be problematic.