Violent clashes Donald Trump is preparing to impose travel ban on 41 countries including Pakistan, India’s neighbors will be affected

Washington. US President Donald Trump is considering a plan to impose a comprehensive travel ban on 41 countries. This proposed policy can especially affect those countries, which include India’s neighboring countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar. This policy is part of an executive order issued by Trump on January 20, which made strict security checks mandatory for foreign citizens. In this order, several cabinet officials were instructed to submit a list of countries by March 21, where travel should be completely or partially banned due to inadequate investigation and screening procedures.

According to a report, this step can be taken to strengthen America’s national security. While the list is not yet finalized and changes are possible, it will require the administration’s approval, in addition to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s approval.

The countries included in the proposed ban are divided into three groups.

First group (10 countries): It includes countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea. There could be a complete ban on issuing US visas to citizens of these countries.

Second group (5 countries): It includes countries like Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan. Partial restrictions are proposed for these countries, which will limit tourist, student and some immigrant visas, although some exceptions are possible.

Third group (26 countries): It includes countries like Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan. These countries may face partial visa restrictions, provided their governments do not remove security related deficiencies within 60 days.

Impact on India’s neighbourhood
The biggest impact of this proposed ban can be on India’s neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to sources, Afghanistan may be included in the list of complete travel ban, while Pakistan has also been recommended to be included in this list. This may make it difficult for citizens of these countries to enter the US. This may have a major impact on refugees and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders from Afghanistan, especially after the Taliban came to power there. However, the US State Department is trying to exempt these SIV holders from the ban.

Similarity to Trump’s previous policy
This proposed ban is similar to the travel ban implemented in Trump’s first term (2017), which was also known as the “Muslim Ban”. At that time travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries were banned, which was later approved by the US Supreme Court in 2018 after several amendments. However, Joe Biden repealed it at the beginning of his term in 2021. Now in Trump’s second term, this policy is coming out again in a strict form, the purpose of which is also being told to fulfill his election promises.

Concern of international students and communities
After this news, concern has increased among international students and migrant communities. During his election campaign, Trump had promised to implement “ideological investigation” and prevent “dangerous radicals” from entering the US. Even before this, many American universities had advised their international students to be cautious. This may especially affect students and workers coming from countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Although this list is not final yet and changes are possible in it, but if it is implemented, it will be part of the comprehensive immigration policy of the Trump administration. Experts believe that this can not only affect America’s relations with the affected countries, but can also deepen the humanitarian crisis at the global level.