AMN
US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order barring travelers from six Muslim majority countries to the United States for three months, and all refugees for four months. These countries are Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The move comes after the US federal appeals judges blocked a similar order last month.
Iraq which was covered in the previous seven-nation order has been removed from the new one after agreeing for additional visa vetting measures. Iraqi Foreign Ministry has welcomed the Washington’s decision to drop Iraq from the list. Baghdad said, the revised order will enhance US-Iraqi cooperation in the fight against Islamic State terrorists.
The new ban will come into effect on the 16th of this month. It will not affect legal permanent residents – those with green cards – or travelers who already had valid visas as of January 27th, 2017. The new order was unveiled by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Homeland Security John Kelly. The new directive says refugees already approved by the State Department can enter the US. It also lifts an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees.