Washington: A travel ban on 12 countries by US President Donald Trump has come into force.
According to Ghana News Agency, the regulation came into effect early on Monday (0401 GMT). Trump announced the ban on Wednesday, stating that he 'must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.'
The ban fully restricts the entry of nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will face partial restrictions, as outlined in Trump's proclamation.
A fact sheet issued by the White House indicated that some of the countries listed had 'inadequate screening and vetting processes, hindering America's ability to identify potential security threats before entry.' It further noted that other countries 'exhibit high visa overstay rates' or did not cooperate in sharing identity and threat information.
Trump initially placed travel restrictions on a group of predominantly Muslim nations as one of his first presidential acts after he took office in 2017. Several federal courts attempted to block the ban before the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that it was 'squarely within the scope of Presidential authority.'
