Online Reporter
Gibson Nyikadzino
Zimpapers Politics Hub
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation that imposed partial travel restrictions on Zimbabweans, among other 14 nationalities, the White House has confirmed.
President Trump’s administration suggested the expanded travel restrictions, applying to both people seeking to visit the US as tourists, students and business travelers, as well as people wanting to emigrate there, were necessitated by the shooting of two National Guard troops in November by an Afghan suspect.
The proclamation, which also imposes a full ban on five other countries, provides a relief for Zimbabweans travelling to the US by applying a waiver to allow entry at the discretion of Secretary of State Mr Marco Rubio if he finds that the individual “would serve a United States national interest”.
The announced changes are taking effect on January 1 next year and will apply on citizens from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Citizens from Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and South Sudan will be prohibited from coming to the US after being added to the full travel ban category.
Tuesday’s proclamation said the restrictions were “necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose. It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.”
According to an Overstay Report cited by President Trump, Zimbabweans “had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 7,89 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 15,15 percent”.
“Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Zimbabwe to the extent permitted by law,” read the order.
President Trump said the US will apply exceptions to the suspension on a case-by-case.
“Exceptions to the suspension of and limitation on entry pursuant to sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this proclamation may be made on a case-by-case basis for individuals for whom the Secretary of State finds, in his discretion, that the travel by the individual would serve a United States national interest.
“These exceptions shall be made by only the Secretary of State or his designee, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security or her designee,” President Trump said.
Last week, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Pamela Tremont, said though the Trump administration was focused on illegal immigration, two countries have been cooperating in dealing with and addressing issues of Zimbabwean deportees.
“The Trump administration is very focused on the issue of illegal immigration, and particularly overstays. There were some Zimbabweans who overstayed their visas, or deported back here. The government of Zimbabwe was extremely cooperative in welcoming their citizens back to Zimbabwe. We appreciated that cooperation. We are underscoring to everybody who will listen that illegal immigration can be extremely dangerous. It leaves people vulnerable to trafficking and abuses, and it’s not worth the risk,” Ms Tremont said.
The US is Zimbabwe’s third biggest remittance source, contributing 11,2 percent (around US$305 million) of the total receipts, after South Africa and the United Kingdom.
