US considers banning citizens of 11 countries from entering, Bhutan on the list

US officials are considering restricting entry for citizens of 43 countries, including citizens of 11 countries that could be banned from entering.

According to the proposal under consideration, the administration of US President Donald Trump is considering listing 43 countries in three groups that restrict entry into the US, including the red group (banning citizens of the countries on this list from entering), the orange group (restricting visa issuance) and the yellow group (requiring 60 days to resolve information deficiencies), The New York Times reported on March 14.

Of these, citizens of 11 "red group" countries are banned from entering the US, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

US officials said the list was drawn up by the US State Department a few weeks ago and is likely to be adjusted, emphasizing that this is not an approved list.

People sitting in front of Rinpung Dzong monastery in Bhutan

Many of the countries in the red and orange groups are countries that the US considers rivals or that Mr. Trump imposed entry restrictions on during his first term. However, there are also some new countries added. In particular, the reason for placing Bhutan in the red group is still unclear, The New York Times said .

According to The Bhutanese newspaper, the above development may be related to a number of incidents. In 2023, information emerged about a supposed “large-scale immigration scam” in Nepal, in which Nepalese citizens claimed to be “Bhutanese refugees” to enter the US. Among them were Nepalese politicians. In another incident in December 2024, Asia News Network reported that more than 300 Bhutanese citizens, mostly students, had crossed the border from Canada to enter the US.

In addition, data from the US Department of Homeland Security shows that about 200 Bhutanese citizens were arrested for illegal residence in the US between 2013 and 2022. In 2021 and 2024, US authorities arrested 51 Bhutanese citizens for violating immigration laws, according to The Bhutanese .

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Bhutan has not commented on the above information.

According to information from the US State Department , Bhutan does not have formal diplomatic relations with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, including the United States. The US Embassy in New Delhi (India) has consular responsibilities in Bhutan and maintains contact with the Bhutanese Embassy in New Delhi.

Upon taking office, President Trump signed an executive order requiring the US State Department to identify countries that require screening information, assessing whether citizens from which countries have so much inaccurate information that access should be restricted.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-can-nhac-cam-cong-dan-11-nuoc-nhap-canh-bhutan-co-trong-danh-sach-185250316091754303.htm