WASHINGTON: The US State Department has dismissed reports suggesting that the government is drafting a list to impose new travel restrictions on several countries.
The State Department reaffirmed its commitment to resettling Afghans who risked their lives to assist the US mission during its two-decade presence in Afghanistan and clarified that no such list exists.
At a press briefing, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce acknowledged that the Trump administration was conducting a broader security review of visa policies following an executive order issued on 20 January.
However, Bruce refuted claims that Afghanistan was on a list of nations facing a full suspension of visa issuance.
There is no list. What people have been looking at over the past several days is not a list that exists here or is being acted upon,” State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
The spokesperson further explained that the review is part of an ongoing process to evaluate visa policies and enhance US security.
“There is a review, as we know, under the president’s executive order, for us to examine what measures will help keep America safer in dealing with visa policies and determining who is allowed into the country,” she said.
Bruce’s remarks come amid reports from The New York Times, Reuters, and other media outlets, suggesting that the Trump administration is considering imposing travel restrictions similar to those enacted during his previous term, potentially affecting multiple countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The spokesperson’s response follows the emergence of a draft list that reportedly includes 41 countries—such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran—categorised into three groups, each subject to different levels of travel restrictions.
According to a memo cited by Reuters, the document proposes a full visa suspension for a first group of nations, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea.
The second group consists of five countries that would face partial suspensions affecting tourist, student, and other immigrant visas, with some exceptions.
The third group, comprising 26 countries—including Belarus, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan—would be considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments “fail to address deficiencies within 60 days”, the memo states.
