US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has signed a revised executive order to reinstate a ban on people from certain countries from entering the US.
The new travel ban will apply to new visas from six Muslim-majority countries which were included in the original travel ban: Libya, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
However it will not apply to migrants from Iraq, who were included in the first travel ban. Permanent US residents who may have originally come from one of the six countries will also be exempt from the ban.
The order will also ban any refugees from entering the country for the next 120 days.
The White House said that Trump signed the order behind closed doors “this morning”. It will come into effect on Thursday 16 March.
The US president initially introduced the wide-ranging travel ban on 27 January but it was blocked by judges within weeks.
The revised ban says that the six countries were targeted because their screening and information capabilities could not meet US security requirements.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the executive order “a vital measure for strengthening our national security.”
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions added at a joint press conference that it “responsibly provides a needed pause so we can carefully review how we scrutinise people coming here from these countries of concern.”
“Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism,” Sessions added, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria, adding that others had served as “safe havens” for terror operatives.
The first version temporarily closed US borders to all refugees and to citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries.
The State Department initially cancelled 60,000 visas, and hundreds of people were reportedly detained at US airports.
The new order explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders.
Polls show that American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trump’s political base.
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