Trump administration lifts ban on refugees from Iran and ten other countries
The US Homeland Security Secretary says the ban on refugees from "high-risk countries" in the Middle East and Africa has been lifted, but these refugees can enter the US after "further security screening."
Kirstjen Nielsen, who replaced John Kelly, said Monday night that the change came after a 90-day review by the Department of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies of how refugees from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen and Syria are being accepted. There will no longer be restrictions based on the nationality of the refugees, Reuters reported.
This is the latest decision by President Trump's administration since taking office regarding the entry of refugees. During his campaign, Mr. Trump promised to tighten restrictions on the entry of citizens of certain countries and refugees in order to ensure the safety of the American people. In February of last year, the US president suspended visas from several predominantly Muslim countries and the entry of refugees from several similar countries in two separate orders.
Trump's executive orders on visas and asylum seekers faced opposition in US federal courts several times, but ultimately the Trump administration was able to temporarily begin implementing them until the Supreme Court later reviewed them.
A Reuters analysis says that in recent months, with President Trump's orders, refugee admissions from eleven countries have declined sharply.
No new details of the "enhanced security screening" for accepting refugees from these eleven countries have been revealed.
The list of "high-risk countries" was created by Barack Obama in 2016 and became a criterion for banning immigrants when the Trump administration came to power.
Source: Voice of America
