The Embassy of the United States of America (USA) in Malawi says the pending travel ban targeting 36 countries is part of USA’s efforts to ensure that foreign nationals adhere to that country’s laws.
In a written response yesterday to The Nation questionnaire, US Embassy public affairs officer Grant Phillipp said while the US State Department does not comment on internal deliberations or communications, the department constantly reassesses policies to ensure the safety of Americans and adherence to laws by foreign nationals.
“The State Department is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” he said.
The explanation comes after a memo from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to US diplomats named Malawi among 36 countries that USA President Donald Trump is considering for visa bans or other travel restrictions if they fail to adhere to set requirements.
In an interview yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo said her ministry has a task force that conducts routine bilateral meetings with the US Embassy to discuss various issues such as security and health.
“We are yet to engage them on this particular issue [the potential travel ban] but there is a routine meeting scheduled for today [Monday],” she said.
The Washington Post newspaper reported on Saturday that the countries facing potential bans have been given 60 days to meet the requirements.
The publication said the concerns mentioned in the cable include countries having large numbers of citizens who overstayed in the USA and lacking competent central government authority to produce reliable identity documents.
Malawi’s neighbours Tanzania and Zambia are also on the list . The list also includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Uganda and Zimbabwe, according to the publication.
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal and South Sudan complete the list of 25 African countries.
