The United States is considering imposing a travel ban on dozens of countries, according to a report by Reuters. The proposal, which is part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, lists 43 countries divided into three groups: red, orange, and yellow.
Notably, African economic powerhouses like Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, and Egypt are excluded from the list. The red group, which faces the strictest restrictions, includes 11 countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Cuba, Bhutan, Venezuela, North Korea, Yemen, and Somalia.
The orange group comprises 10 countries whose visas would be sharply restricted, including Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Pakistan, Laos, Turkmenistan, Haiti, and Eritrea. The countries in the yellow group, which includes 22 nations, have been given 60 days to address concerns.
The proposal has sparked concerns, particularly among island countries like Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia, which are popular options for purchasing citizenship by investment. The European Union has raised security concerns over the trade in ‘golden passports’ and is seeking to review its visa-mechanism in countries that offer investor citizenship schemes.
It’s worth noting that the list is not yet finalized, and a US official told Reuters that there could be changes before it’s approved by the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.