The Donald Trump administration issued a new executive order on Monday, temporarily banning travel from six Muslim-majority countries to the US.
This is after an earlier order ran foul of the country’s judiciary.
The new executive order bans travel from six countries - Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, leaving out Iraq that was also in the list of barred countries in the January 2017 order.
In an attempt to pass the next round of inevitable judicial scrutiny, current visa and green card holders from these countries will not be affected by this order.
The order also explains the basis for including the six countries trying to remedy a lacuna in the earlier order.
The new order also avoids the preferential treatment offered to Christian refugees in the earlier order.
The new order will not come into effect until March 16.
There will be a 90-day ban on the issuance of new visas for citizens of these six countries, and nation’s refugee program will be suspended for 120 days, according to the order.
While the temporary ban is in place for 90 days, the US administration will review the security measures in place to prevent potential threats from gaining a US visa.
The number of refugees to be admitted this year has been reduced to 50,000 from the 110,000 cap set by the Obama administration. The indefinite ban on Syrian refugees has been lifted.
The order said each of the six countries was a state sponsor of terrorism, has been significantly compromised by terrorist organisations or contains active conflict zones.
The order gives country-wise details justifying the inclusion of each and also explains the exclusion of Iraq.
Iraq: Know More- Capital: Baghdad
- Currency: Iraqi dinar
- President: Fuad Masum
- Prime minister: Haider al-Abadi
- Official languages: Arabic, Kurdish
