The US refugee ban seems to be aimed at Muslim countries
Imposing new security measures
The Trump administration is resuming admission of refugees into the country, however it will impose security measures against several nations.
An executive order issued by the president on Tuesday sought to restart the settlement plan of refugees. It had previously been suspended being part of the travel ban.
A senior official has revealed that in the new order, there is a review period granted for in-depth threat assessment of 11 countries.
Names not mentioned
The administration has, as yet, withheld the names of the 11 countries on the list, however, they seem to be Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, North Korea, Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Syria. Most of these countries have majority Muslim populations.
During the review period of 90 days, admissions of refugees from these 11 countries will only be permitted on case to case basis. If the person is question poses no threat to the security of the US only then, he / she will be granted entry.
Trump not giving up
The new refugee order signifies the fact that Donald Trump is not actually giving up his idea of restricting travel from Muslim countries. During the campaign for his presidency, Trump had vowed to impose a total ban on Muslims entering the United States.
In January, right after assuming office, Donald Trump had signed an order halting the settlement of refugees. He also banned travel from several Muslim countries.
The imposition of the travel ban was stalled as it faced legal contest from several quarters. It was said that the ban is unconstitutional and seeks to single out Muslims.
It was later replaced by another order in March. It was also stalled amid litigation, however, in June, the Supreme Court allowed some parts of the order through.
It is almost sure that the new order will also be challenged in the court.
Affected by the new order
Administration officials have declined to identify the countries that have been affected by the new order. However, they have commented that these countries had already been flagged for extra vetting.
Refugees not from these 11 countries will also go through intense scrutiny under the new standards.
