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Fact Check: Has Pakistan been included in the new US travel ban?
There has been intense speculation whether Pakistan has been, or rather will be, included in a new travel ban by the Trump administration as part of efforts to reduce immigration.
The news has raised concerns among the thousands of Pakistanis living in the United States on student or immigration visas, or visiting for tourism purposes. Fact Check Pakistan looks at the news reports on whether Pakistan has been included in the travel ban.
Who reported the story?
The news was first reported by Reuters news agency on March 7 titled, “New Trump travel ban could bar Afghans, Pakistanis soon, sources say.”
The news story said a new travel ban by President Donald Trump could bar people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the US as soon as next week “based on a government review of countries’ security and vetting risks.”
Reuters quoting three sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, said other countries could also be on the list but did not know which ones.
“Afghanistan will be included in the recommended list of countries for a complete travel ban, said the three sources and one other who also asked not to be identified. “The three sources said Pakistan also would be recommended for inclusion.”
Trump’s executive order
US President Donald Trump signed numerous executive orders pertaining to immigration in his first hours in office. The President’s actions include a directive to implement extreme vetting of foreign nationals.
Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.
That order directed several cabinet members to submit by March 21 a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”
More Scrutiny, no Ban
A report in the New York Times suggested that Pakistanis may not face an outright ban on travel, but may undergo “more scrutiny” when applying for a visa.
Earlier this week, NYT reported that Pakistan could be placed in an “orange” category, which would impose restrictions on certain types of visas.
What is Orange Category? Countries in this category would only be eligible for visas such as business travel for affluent individuals, but not for immigrants or tourists. The length of these visas could also be shortened, and applicants would be required to attend in-person interviews.
This list would largely comprise countries previously restricted under earlier versions of the travel ban, including Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. The proposed draft tentatively adds Afghanistan to the list, but it is not clear whether Pakistan is or isn’t on the list.
Review of visa ban
A report in CNN on March 7 said, the US State Department is “undertaking a full review of all visa programs,” quoting a department spokesperson confirmed amid reports of an impending new travel ban.
A US official familiar with the situation told CNN that Afghanistan could be among the countries included. However, there is NO mention that Pakistan can or will be included.
The official said the ban could come as soon as next week but noted it was unclear if final decisions on countries and timing had been made.
“The Department is undertaking a full review of all visa programs as directed under this EO and executing on administration priorities,” the spokesperson said.
A White House official told CNN, “No decisions regarding possible travel bans have been made, and anyone claiming otherwise does not know what they are talking about it.”
Pakistan seeks clarity
In a news report in Dawn dated March 10, Pakistan has reached out to the State Department for clarity after reports of possible travel curbs being imposed on entry to the US.
Pakistan’s US Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Shaikh told the news outlet that the embassy has sought details from the US authorities on the likely travel restrictions.
When asked about Pakistan’s likely placement, Ambassador Shaikh said, “It’s currently based on news reports. Nothing official as yet. We are still awaiting confirmation.” “We are in contact with the State Department, but nothing has been shared yet,” he added.
