Biden’s order on Muslim travel ban: What does it mean to the world

Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden arrive for the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday. — AP

Washington - Visa processing for individuals from 12 countries affected by Trump's order will be restarted

By ANI

Published: Thu 21 Jan 2021, 8:38 AM

Last updated: Thu 21 Jan 2021, 8:41 AM

In a blow to his predecessor Donald Trump’s actions to limit immigration, US President Joe Biden on Wednesday has ended the ‘Muslim travel ban’, which blocked travel to the US from several predominantly Muslim and African countries.

Hours after taking the office, Biden on Wednesday signed 17 executive orders memorandums and proclamations including ending the Muslim travel ban.

Also read: Biden rolls back on major Trump policies

Mexico welcomes Biden's halt to border wall construction

He has directed the State Department to restart visa processing for individuals from the affected countries and to develop ways to address the harm caused to those who were prevented from coming to the US because of the ban, The New York Times reported.

Implemented in 2017 during Trump’s first week in office, the Muslim ban initially restricted travel from seven Muslim-majority nations: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The ban faced several legal challenges, but the Supreme Court in 2018 upheld the final version of the measure.

The Muslim travel ban so far restricts citizens from 12 countries: Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, Tanzania and North Korea, and some Venezuelan officials and their relatives from obtaining a broad range of US visas.

With another executive order, Biden has bolstered the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects from deportation immigrants brought to the United States as children, often called Dreamers.