US to Push Entry Ban on Myanmar and Six Other Countries

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing to ban entry into the United States for nationals of seven countries.

Political news outlet Politico reported on the 21st (local time) that President Trump is expected to sign an executive order banning entry into the U.S. for nationals of Belarus, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. Although it had been gradually revealed that the U.S. plans to add more countries to the travel ban list, this is the first time the specific countries have been disclosed.

The current list of countries subject to the U.S. travel ban includes North Korea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and Venezuela.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported, citing officials, that nationals of these countries will not face a total ban on travel to the U.S., but certain types of visas such as business or visitor visas may be restricted. There is also a possibility that immigration restrictions to the U.S. will be included along with the travel ban.

President Trump, attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (WEF, Davos Forum), acknowledged in an interview with WSJ in Davos, Switzerland, that he is pushing to expand the list of countries subject to the travel ban.

The 27th, when President Trump is expected to sign the order, will mark exactly three years since he signed the executive order refusing visa issuance to seven Muslim-majority countries shortly after taking office, making this move even more controversial.

At that time, President Trump promoted the travel ban policy under the pretext of blocking Islamic terrorists, but faced strong opposition and had to go through court litigation.

In particular, the current list includes countries that are difficult to classify as Islamic countries or with which the U.S. has pursued friendly relations, raising further questions. Nigeria, Myanmar, and Belarus are not considered to be in hostile relations with the U.S. Ultimately, if President Trump proceeds with signing the executive order, there is ample room for controversy not only in Washington politics but also diplomatically.