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President Donald Trump's administration is considering implementing travel restrictions on citizens of up to 43 countries, US media report.
A draft list of recommendations has been drawn up by security officials, dividing countries into three different categories - red, orange and yellow - according to The New York Times, citing unidentified US officials.
The red list includes 11 countries whose citizens would face a complete ban, while the other two lists of countries would face varying degrees of visa restrictions, according to the newspaper.
An official told the New York Times that the draft list is subject to change and had not yet been approved by the Trump administration, including by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The draft memorandum follows an executive order issued by Trump on January 20, which required intensified security screening of any foreign national seeking to enter the US, to detect national security threats.
The order also requires certain cabinet members to submit a list of countries by March 21 from which travel should be fully or partially suspended because "their vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or complete suspension of admission of nationals from those countries."
Draft memo lists 11 countries on red list whose citizens will be completely banned from entering the US
These places include:
Afghanistan
butane
Cuba
Iran
LIBYA
North Korea
Somalia
SUDAN
SYRIA
Venezuela
Yemen
Orange List
The draft orange list includes 10 countries whose citizens would face additional restrictions, but not a complete ban on entering the US.
Businesspeople may be allowed in, but not individuals traveling on immigrant or tourist visas, according to The New York Times. Citizens from these countries will also be required to undergo mandatory in-person interviews.
The countries on this list include:
Belarus
Eritrea
Haiti
Laos
Myanmar
Pakistan
Russia
Sierra Leone
South Sudan
TURKMENISTAN
The draft yellow list includes 22 countries, which will have 60 days to address concerns of deficiencies or risk being moved to another category.
Some of the issues these countries need to address include failure to share information about travelers coming to the US, inadequate security practices for issuing passports, and the sale of citizenship to people from banned countries.
The countries on this list include:
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Chad
Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Dominica
Equatorial Guinea
Gambia
Liberia
MALAWI
mountain
Mauritania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Sao Tome and Principe
Vanuatu
ZIMBABWE
Donald Trump's executive order in January declared that travel bans would be reimposed to protect Americans "from aliens who seek to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, promote hateful ideology, or exploit immigration laws for malicious purposes."
The State Department previously said it was following Trump's order and was "committed to protecting the nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process."
Meanwhile, shortly after becoming president in 2021, Joe Biden lifted the travel bans that Trump imposed in his first term. Biden called the bans a “stain on our national conscience” and “inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths and no faith.”
What happens next?
Officials at embassies, regional State Department offices and security specialists are currently reviewing the draft memorandum, according to the New York Times. Changes to the lists could be made before a final decision is made by the Trump administration.
It is not yet clear whether individuals from affected countries with existing visas will be exempt from the restrictions or have their visas canceled.
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