President Donald Trump reinstates expired travel ban to include eight countries

IN THE wake of threatening to “totally destroy” North Korea, the US President has announced another blow — but this time his actions are pretty useless.

Donald Trump has extended his travel ban. Picture: Brynn Anderson

PRESIDENT Donald Trump wasn’t about to let his controversial travel ban expire — signing a new order restricting even more countries from entering the US.

Travellers from eight countries including North Korea will now face restrictions on entry to the US under a new proclamation signed by the president.

The new rules, which will also affect citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen, will go into effect on October 18.

Sudan, which was on the original list, has since been dropped from the ban after engaging in “robust” counter-terrorism efforts with the US.

North Koreans will be banned from visiting the US. Picture: AFP

Officials stress that valid visas would not be revoked as a result of the proclamation. Some countries will face full bans. Others are more tailored, such as restrictions affecting Venezuela, which will only apply to certain government officials and their families.

The addition of North Korea and Venezuela is a peculiar one considering the number of North Koreans visitors to the US is almost non-existent.

When asked why North Korea was included in the travel ban, a government official admitted “the number is very low”.

Venezuela, which is currently one of the world’s most dangerous countries and in the midst of a bloody civil war, will only see its ban extended to government officials.

On his way back to the White House on Sunday afternoon, Trump was asked what he thought about the stricter travel restrictions.

“The tougher the better,” he told reporters.

Trump’s inclusion of North Korea and Venezuela is seen as symbolic. Picture: Manuel Balce Ceneta

According to Associate Professor of American politics at the University of Melbourne Tim Lynch the inclusion of North Korea and Venezuela is largely symbolic.

Associate Professor Lynch said the move was simply about give Mr Trump’s supporters what they want.

“This is clearly a symbolic gesture,” he told news.com.au

“He’s been busy portraying North Korea as the enemy and vice versa.”

Prof Lynch said the ban wouldn’t affect many North Koreans given the number who travelled to the US was small and even the diplomatic visits were tightly controlled.

“Venezuela is not as profound given it extends to authorities and really this is about playing to the populist card, and portraying them as Cuban comrades in arms,” he said.

Prof Lynch said in banning both countries, Mr Trump was giving his supporters what they want.

“He’s well aware of who his supporters are and he knows his supporters better than his critics do,” he said.

“He’s giving his supporters red meat by offering his supporters obvious measures.”

Prof Lynch said Mr Trump’s anti-foreign rhetoric has been around longer than his presidential ambitions and this ban was an attempt to prove his authority.

“Mr Trump can’t ban the NFL, but he can ban the DPRK,” he said.

White House officials said Venezuela was on the list because its government is “uncooperative” regarding whether its citizens pose a public safety threat — and that it “fails to share public safety and terrorism-related information adequately.”

Officials also said North Korea was included because it “does not co-operate with the US government in any respect and failed to satisfy all information-sharing requirements.”

The president has since tweeted about the stricter ban and how “making America safe” is his number one priority.

Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet.https://t.co/KJ886okyfC

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017

Speaking to Politico, an official said the addition of North Korea and Venezuela wasn’t because they were trying to make the ban seem less like a “Muslim ban”.

“The restrictions, whether previously or now, were never ever, ever based on race, religion or creed,” he told the publication.

The original travel ban, instated by Trump in March, expired this morning (Sunday night in the US), 90 days after it came into effect.

The ban, which restricted visitors from six Muslim-majority countries entering the US, sparked nationwide protests with hundreds of already-approved refugees being stuck in limbo in US airports.

It was accompanied by a 120-day block on all refugees and sparked a political uproar when Mr Trump first announced it on January 27, a week after becoming president.

The ban was frozen by courts after a weekend of chaos at airports and a barrage of lawsuits by immigration advocates and civil liberties groups.

Several states also sued to block it on grounds that it prevented legitimate visa holders, family members, US residents, students in universities and foreign workers for US companies from entering the country.

— With Wires