President Donald Trump has introduced a new travel policy that will stop people from 12 countries from entering the United States. Along with this, citizens from seven more countries will face tighter travel rules.

The countries affected by the full travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

The travel ban and the new restrictions will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. The seven countries that will face stricter entry rules are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Trump said the changes are necessary to keep the country safe. He explained that the main goal is to protect the national security and interests of the American people.

Out of the 19 countries affected by these changes, 10 are in Africa. Some of these African countries, like Sierra Leone and Togo, are not known for having dangerous groups that threaten the West.

This new list came from a report ordered by Trump on January 20. He asked the State Department, Homeland Security, and intelligence officials to review whether people from certain countries might pose a threat to the U.S.

Back in 2017, Trump also banned travelers from seven mainly Muslim countries such as Iraq, Syria, and Iran. That earlier ban caused a lot of debate.

Even though many people criticized the 2017 travel ban and called it the “Muslim ban,” the U.S. Supreme Court approved it in 2018 and allowed it to stay in place.

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