US prepares to expand travel ban list from 19 to over 30 countries

The United States is preparing to increase the number of countries subject to travel restrictions from 19 to more than 30.

Kristi Noem, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, told American television that President Trump is reviewing which additional countries may be added to the list, without specifying any names.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Trump administration had blocked all immigration applications, including green cards and citizenship processes, from 19 non-European countries due to national security and public safety concerns.

According to Reuters, these restrictions apply to individuals from countries that were already facing partial travel bans in June.

The list includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, which were subjected to the strictest restrictions in June, including near-total entry bans with some exceptions.

Other countries facing partial bans in June, which may now see expanded restrictions, include Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.