Joe Biden Issues Travel Ban on South Africa; Reinstates Europe, Brazil Bans

President Joe Biden has issued a travel ban on South Africa, stopping most immigration to the United States from the country, and reinstated bans on Europe and Brazil to slow the spread of the Chinese coronavirus.

Biden, who once referred to President Trump’s travel ban on China as “hysterical xenophobic,” has issued a travel ban on South Africa as variants of the coronavirus spread in the country. Likewise, Biden has reinstated travel bans on Europe and Brazil, which Trump had ended after lobbying from the U.S. airline industry.

The bans will halt most immigration from South Africa, Europe, and Brazil, the order states [emphasis added]:

I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of noncitizens of the United States (“noncitizens”) who were physically present within the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe), the Republic of Ireland, the Federative Republic of Brazil, and the Republic of South Africa during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.

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The bans are in addition to those already in place on Iran and China, which experts said have immensely helped to slow the spread of the coronavirus. {snip}

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