Trump slaps travel restrictions on North Korea, Venezuela in sweeping new ban

[webfact]

Trump slaps travel restrictions on North Korea, Venezuela in sweeping new ban

By Jeff Mason and Phil Stewart

 

International passengers wait for their rides outside the international arrivals exit at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, U.S. September 24, 2017. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Sunday slapped new travel restrictions on citizens from North Korea, Venezuela and Chad, expanding to eight the list of countries covered by his original travel bans that have been derided by critics and challenged in court.

 

Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia were left on the list of affected countries in a new proclamation issued by the president. Restrictions on citizens from Sudan were lifted.

 

The measures help fulfil a campaign promise Trump made to tighten U.S. immigration procedures and align with his "America First" foreign policy vision. Unlike the president's original bans, which had time limits, this one is open-ended.

 

"Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet," the president said in a tweet shortly after the proclamation was released.

 

Iraqi citizens will not be subject to travel prohibitions but will face enhanced scrutiny or vetting.

 

The current ban, enacted in March, was set to expire on Sunday evening. The new restrictions are slated to take effect on Oct. 18 and resulted from a review after Trump's original travel bans sparked international outrage and legal challenges.

 

The addition of North Korea and Venezuela broadens the restrictions from the original, mostly Muslim-majority list.

 

An administration official, briefing reporters on a conference call, acknowledged that the number of North Koreans now travelling to the United States was very low.

 

Rights group Amnesty International USA condemned the measures.

 

“Just because the original ban was especially outrageous does not mean we should stand for yet another version of government-sanctioned discrimination," it said in a statement.

 

"It is senseless and cruel to ban whole nationalities of people who are often fleeing the very same violence that the U.S. government wishes to keep out. This must not be normalized.”

 

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement the addition of North Korea and Venezuela "doesn't obfuscate the real fact that the administration's order is still a Muslim ban."

 

The White House portrayed the restrictions as consequences for countries that did not meet new requirements for vetting of immigrants and issuing of visas. Those requirements were shared in July with foreign governments, which had 50 days to make improvements if needed, the White House said.

 

A number of countries made improvements by enhancing the security of travel documents or the reporting of passports that were lost or stolen. Others did not, sparking the restrictions.

 

The announcement came as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments on Oct. 10 over the legality of Trump’s previous travel ban, including whether it discriminated against Muslims.

 

NORTH KOREA, VENEZUELA ADDED

 

Trump has threatened to “destroy” North Korea if it attacks the United States or its allies. Pyongyang earlier this month conducted its most powerful nuclear bomb test. The president has also directed harsh criticism at Venezuela, once hinting at a potential military option to deal with Caracas.

 

But the officials described the addition of the two countries to Trump’s travel restrictions as the result of a purely objective review.

 

In the case of North Korea, where the suspension was sweeping and applied to both immigrants and non-immigrants, officials said it was hard for the United States to validate the identity of someone coming from North Korea or to find out if that person was a threat.

 

“North Korea, quite bluntly, does not cooperate whatsoever,” one official said.

 

The restrictions on Venezuela focused on Socialist government officials that the Trump administration blamed for the country's slide into economic disarray, including officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service and their immediate families.

 

Trump received a set of policy recommendations on Friday from acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke and was briefed on the matter by other administration officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a White House aide said.

 

The rollout on Sunday was decidedly more organised than Trump's first stab at a travel ban, which was unveiled with little warning and sparked protests at airports worldwide.  

 

Earlier on Sunday, Trump told reporters about the ban: "The tougher, the better."

 

Rather than a total ban on entry to the United States, the proposed restrictions differ by nation, based on cooperation with American security mandates, the threat the United States believes each country presents and other variables, officials said.

 

Somalis, for example, are barred from entering the United States as immigrants and subjected to greater screening for visits.

 

After the Sept. 15 bombing attack on a London train, Trump wrote on Twitter that the new ban "should be far larger, tougher and more specific - but stupidly, that would not be politically correct."

 

The expiring ban blocked entry into the United States by people from the six countries for 90 days and locked out most aspiring refugees for 120 days to give Trump’s administration time to conduct a worldwide review of U.S. vetting procedures for foreign visitors.

 

Critics have accused the Republican president of discriminating against Muslims in violation of constitutional guarantees of religious liberty and equal protection under the law, breaking existing U.S. immigration law and stoking religious hatred.

 

Some federal courts blocked the ban, but the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to take effect in June with some restrictions.

(Additional reporting by James Oliphant, Yeganeh Torbati, and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-25

[craigt3365]

Tourism is WAY down in the US.  Causing the loss of millions and millions of dollars.  These bans are ridiculous.

[halloween]

46 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Tourism is WAY down in the US.  Causing the loss of millions and millions of dollars.  These bans are ridiculous.

I'm sure the tourist losses from North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia must be devastating.

[craigt3365]

34 minutes ago, halloween said:

I'm sure the tourist losses from North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia must be devastating.

Perhaps doing some research before posting would be good.  Makes you look silly.

[halloween]

4 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Perhaps doing some research before posting would be good.  Makes you look silly.

The only figures I could (quickly, because I don't really care) find were from the world bank up to 2016 which showed strongly increasing tourism to the US. Then we have your claim, without a link. If thinking there are quite a small number of tourists from those countries is silly, I'll stay silly until proved wrong.

[craigt3365]

Dozens of articles talking about the Trump Slump in tourism.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/09/08/u-s-tourism-declining-as-new-report-confirms-predicted-trump-slump.html

Quote

U.S. tourism declining as new report confirms predicted 'Trump Slump'

http://time.com/money/4949570/trump-slump-international-tourism-decline-us-economy/

Fewer Tourists Are Coming to the U.S., and Experts Say It's Largely Trump's Fault

How much does the international tourism decline hurt the U.S. economy? The research firm Tourism Economics told the Times that the 4.2% drop during the first quarter of 2017 represents a loss of about $2.7 billion.

line in one quarter would mean we are on pace to hit Tourism Economics' earlier forecast for 2017 overall, to the tune of $10.8 billion in lost spending.

Quote

 

How much does the international tourism decline hurt the U.S. economy? The research firm Tourism Economics told the Times that the 4.2% drop during the first quarter of 2017 represents a loss of about $2.7 billion.

 

The $2.7 billion decline in one quarter would mean we are on pace to hit Tourism Economics' earlier forecast for 2017 overall, to the tune of $10.8 billion in lost spending.

 

I don't think tourists from North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia count for very much. LOL

[halloween]

5 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

 

I don't think tourists from North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia count for very much. LOL

Then why was saying it silly?

[ilostmypassword]

22 minutes ago, halloween said:

Then why was saying it silly?

Because Trump's threat of harsh vetting don't only apply to the banned countries. And their irrationality scares foreign tourists away. Why risk buying a ticket to the USA when you can get turned back at the at airport after you've landed?

[halloween]

1 hour ago, halloween said:

I'm sure the tourist losses from North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia must be devastating.

 

11 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Because Trump's threat of harsh vetting don't only apply to the banned countries. And their irrationality scares foreign tourists away. Why risk buying a ticket to the USA when you can get turned back at the at airport after you've landed?

Read it again. it says exactly what it says, there are very few people coming to the US from those countries. It doesn't say anything about Trump, or his bans, only that the numbers from there hardly affect US tourism figures.

If you have figures saying there are thousands coming to the US from those listed countries, I will admit my mistake. Until then.......

Edited September 25, 2017 by halloween

[mike324]

I think if Trump didn't have such a foul mouth, these travel bans would have fly under the radar and nobody would even noticed. There would not have been a negative effect on tourism to the US as well.

[dunroaming]

One country obviously missing here is the UK.  Surely a country that Trump is too scared to visit as he would be ridiculed by the people and media should be on his list.  Especially one with a Muslim mayor!  Come on Donald, you are missing an opportunity here.

[craigt3365]

21 minutes ago, halloween said:

 

Read it again. it says exactly what it says, there are very few people coming to the US from those countries. It doesn't say anything about Trump, or his bans, only that the numbers from there hardly affect US tourism figures.

If you have figures saying there are thousands coming to the US from those listed countries, I will admit my mistake. Until then.......

It's not so much the countries that are being banned.  It's the BS comments from Trump and his insane followers.  They're scaring people away.

 

You are 100% correct.  Losing tourists from those countries is no big deal.  But the initial impact of these restrictions, turning people away at the airport, etc, scared a lot off.  And, many are just plain pissed at the US so will travel elsewhere.

 

He said he was going to do great things for the economy.  So far, all he's done is cause us to lose money.  He's a loser.

[Slickrick]

Would rather be safe than sorry.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The restrictions on Venezuela focused on Socialist government officials that the Trump administration blamed for the country's slide into economic disarray

Following this logic, Cuba should be added to the travel ban.

[heroKK]

where is Saudi Arabia and Pakistan ? No UAE, no Egypt, no Saudi Arabia. 13 of the 19 911 terrorist came from Saudi Arabia. Why are these counties not in the travel ban you orange buffoon!

 

Everyone realizes that ordinary North Koreans are not allowed to travel right? The only ones that do travel are the very few in the upper ranks and they all have Chinese passports and wont be hurt by the ban. A completely useless gesture.

[funandsuninbangkok]

13 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Tourism is WAY down in the US.  Causing the loss of millions and millions of dollars.  These bans are ridiculous.

Missing those huge Chadian bucks?

[funandsuninbangkok]

6 hours ago, heroKK said:

where is Saudi Arabia and Pakistan ? No UAE, no Egypt, no Saudi Arabia. 13 of the 19 911 terrorist came from Saudi Arabia. Why are these counties not in the travel ban you orange buffoon!

 

Everyone realizes that ordinary North Koreans are not allowed to travel right? The only ones that do travel are the very few in the upper ranks and they all have Chinese passports and wont be hurt by the ban. A completely useless gesture.

Who told you NK agents have Chinese passports?

[craigt3365]

4 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

Who told you NK agents have Chinese passports?

They have a variety of different passports.

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1020434/north-korean-agents-given-passports-kiribati-and-seychelles

 

And spend a lot of time in Macau.

http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2093189/how-macau-became-north-koreas-window-world-and-its-nexus

 

The travel ban wouldn't stop these guys from getting in.

[funandsuninbangkok]

3 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

They have a variety of different passports.

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1020434/north-korean-agents-given-passports-kiribati-and-seychelles

 

And spend a lot of time in Macau.

http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2093189/how-macau-became-north-koreas-window-world-and-its-nexus

 

The travel ban wouldn't stop these guys from getting in.

Good luck to a NK agent trying to get in US on a Kiribati passport!

 

http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e02e0ba2.html

 

truth is they go in as diplomates to UN but they can't get out of NY because counter intelligence is up thier ass. 

[craigt3365]

18 minutes ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

Good luck to a NK agent trying to get in US on a Kiribati passport!

 

http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e02e0ba2.html

 

truth is they go in as diplomates to UN but they can't get out of NY because counter intelligence is up thier ass. 

These spies got caught. LOL

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/24/europe/ukraine-north-korea-spies/index.html

 

Quote

 

The North Korean spies Ukraine caught stealing missile plans

He said that in 2011 two other North Koreans -- who traveled to Ukraine from the country's Moscow Embassy -- were deported after they were caught trying to obtain "missile munitions, homing missile devices in particular for air-to-air class missiles." A third North Korean, tasked with transporting the actual devices out of Ukraine, was also deported.

And as recently as 2015, five North Koreans were deported for "assisting North Korea's intelligence work in Ukraine," the officer said, without providing further details.

 

 

 

[Srikcir]

21 hours ago, halloween said:

The only figures I could (quickly, because I don't really care) find were from the world bank up to 2016 which showed strongly increasing tourism to the US. Then we have your claim, without a link. If thinking there are quite a small number of tourists from those countries is silly, I'll stay silly until proved wrong.

Limited data for 2017 shows downward trend (rounded) for non-resident arrivals to the U.S. (Table C):

Canada, Mexico, Total Overseas, Europe ...................................... -20%

Latin America (Excl. Mexico), Asia, Middle East, Africa, .............. -65%

Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela ........................ -51%

Some good news:

France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands ................................ +13%

http://travel.trade.gov/view/m-2017-I-001/index.asp

 

 

[attrayant]

For all you Negative Nabobs, Trump has finally explained and fully justified his travel ban:

 

Quote

 

Reporter: First of all, can you explain to us why Sudan was removed? And second of all, how does the travel ban work in North Korea that doesn’t allow their people out of their country?

 

Trump: Well, the people — yeah, the people allowed — certain countries — but we can add countries very easily and we can take countries away.

 

Reporter: What did Sudan do [to get itself removed]?

 

Trump: As far as the travel ban is concerned, whatever it is, I want the toughest travel ban you can have.

 

 

I hope that clears everything up.

[billd766]

On 9/25/2017 at 2:04 PM, craigt3365 said:

Perhaps doing some research before posting would be good.  Makes you look silly.

 

quote "

On 9/25/2017 at 1:29 PM, halloween said:

I'm sure the tourist losses from North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia must be devastating."

 

As you are condemning halloween for not doing his research, you must have done yours.

 

Exactly how many tourists from those countries in the last year and what was the percentage against the total number of tourists visitng the USA in the same period?