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Trump to 'permanently pause' migration: What are current 'third-world' countries?
The Cold-War era term 'third-world' is now considered outdated and derogatory; organisations like the United Nations have shifted to terms like 'least-developed countries'
US President Donald Trump announced he would "permanently pause" migration from what he termed "third-world" countries. This harsh measure would allow the "US system to fully recover," he said.
His new policy comes on the heels of suspension of all US immigration requests for Afghanistan nationals, after the Washington shooting.
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Two US National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C.; Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her wounds while her fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, was "fighting for his life," Trump said. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national.
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The US President is known for his tough stance on immigration, waves of mass deportations, and deployment of federal troops to make various cities "great again". Trump has not specified the countries that will be affected under the new measure, only using the blanket term "third-world" countries.
The Cold-War era term "third-world" is not in popular use anymore, considered outdated and derogatory. It first emerged as a term used to describe those nations not aligned with the capitalist "First World" or the communist "Second World".
Organisations like the United Nations have shifted to terms like "least-developed countries", which can be defined across factors like economy, education, technology, and others.
The countries that currently come under UN's list of "least-developed countries" are as follows:
Africa (32): Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia
Asia (8): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Yemen
Caribbean (1): Haiti
Pacific (3): Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu
This category is not a permanent one, it is flexible and mobile. If a country meets the criterion for "graduation", they are moved out of the list. The classification of countries is based on three main factors
Income
Human assets (health, education)
Economic and environmental vulnerability.
How does a country get included in the list?
Every three years, countries in developing regions are reviewed against criteria. If a non-LDC meets the established inclusion thresholds for all three criteria in a single review, it can become eligible for inclusion.
The country must consent, and inclusion becomes effective immediately after the General Assembly takes note of the (Committee for Development Policy (CDP)'s recommendation.
How does a country 'graduate'?
A review is conducted every three years; countries must meet established graduation thresholds for at least two of the above mentioned criteria for two consecutive reviews.
However, countries that are highly vulnerable, or have very low human assets, must meet the other two criteria by a significantly high margin to be eligible.
Exception to the rule: If a country's per capital income is above three times the threshold ($3,918), it becomes eligible to graduate even if it fails to meet other two criteria.
Bangladesh, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Nepal are scheduled for graduation in 2026; Solomon Islands is scheduled for graduation in 2027; and Cambodia and Senegal are scheduled for graduation in 2029.
At the 2024 triennial review, Rwanda, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania were found to have met the graduation thresholds for the first time. These countries are scheduled to be considered again in 2027 and, if they meet the criteria for a second time, could be recommended for graduation.
Trump announcement
Other than what he calls "reverse migration", the US President will also "remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our country," which translates to deportations.
Migrants who "undermine domestic tranquility" will be denaturalised, and any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or "non-compatible with Western civilisation" will be deported.
Federal benefits and subsidies will not be offered to any one who is not a US citizen. The US President will also "terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions", he said in a jab at the former president for what he called "unauthorised and illegal Autopen approval process."
Poojaraj Maniyeri
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.
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