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Trump's EU travel suspension explained: who is affected and will it help? Trump's EU coronavirus travel suspension explained: who is affected and will it help?
(about 7 hours later)
The US president’s order, which takes effect Friday, halts most travel from Europe in an effort to contain coronavirus President’s order takes effect Friday and halts most travel from Europe
Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the US would temporarily suspend most travel from Europe to the US in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Donald Trump has announced that the US is temporarily suspending most travel from Europe to the US in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.
In a rare Oval Office address, the president said the US would ban travel from countries in the European Union to the US for 30 days, blaming the EU countries for not acting quickly enough to address the “foreign virus”. In a rare Oval Office address, the president said the US would bar arrivals from 26 European countries for 30 days from midnight on Friday, accusing them of not acting quickly enough to address what he called the “foreign virus”.
The White House and the Department of Homeland Security worked to clarify the restrictions following Trump’s speech. But many details remained unclear, raising questions about whether the response is the most effective to address a growing crisis. Details of how exactly the restrictions will work have yet to be fully clarified, and public health experts have questioned the effectiveness of the measure when the virus is already being transmitted person-to-person in the US.
Here’s what we know: Here is what we know:
Which countries does the ban apply to?
According to the US Department for Homeland Security (DHS) and the president’s proclamation, the ban applies to the countries belonging to the 26-member Schengen passport-free zone. These are:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
As non-members of Schengen, Britain and Ireland are not covered by the ban.
Who is affected?Who is affected?
The restrictions apply to most foreign nationals who have been in the 26 countries of the Schengen Area during the 14 days before their planned arrival in the US. The restrictions will cover “most foreign nationals” who have been in any of the Schengen zone countries “at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the US”, the DHS says.
The countries affected include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The ban does not apply to US citizens returning home, nor to foreign nationals who are legal permanent residents of the the US. Also exempted are foreign nationals who are:
The restrictions do not apply to American residents or to travel from the UK. Most immediate family members of US citizens are exempt. married to US citizens or legal permanent residents
Following the Oval Office speech, the White House also clarified that the travel restriction would not apply to goods and cargo coming from the EU. “The restriction stops people not goods,” Trump said in a tweet. parents and guardians of US citizens or legal permanent residents aged under 21
In past weeks, the US had already temporarily denied entry to foreign nationals who have visited China in the 14 days prior to their arrival to the US, issued travel restrictions on travelers from Iran and had issued “do not travel” warnings to areas in Italy and South Korea. brothers and sisters of US citizens or legal permanent residents, providing both are unmarried and under 21
When do they start and how long will they last? children or foster children of US citizens or legal permanent residents
Trump said the restrictions would begin at 11.59pm on Friday. He said they were scheduled to last 30 days but could be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground. It also does not apply to ship and plane crews; foreign nationals invited to the US to help tackle the virus; foreign government officials and their immediate family; and foreign nationals who work for the US armed forces, international organisations including Nato and the UN, or whose entry “is deemed in the national interest”.
How will the travel suspension work? The ban resembles the restrictions imposed by the US on foreign nationals who have visited China in the 14 days before their arrival to the US. Washington has also issued restrictions on travellers from Iran, and “do not travel” warnings to areas in Italy and South Korea.
It’s unclear at the moment, and crucial questions – including how the US would account for travelers who often hop between the EU and UK – have yet to be answered. The acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security has said that further guidance on the travel suspension will come within the next two days. When does the suspension start and how long will it last?
Will this be effective? The restrictions will begin at 11.59pm ET on Friday and are scheduled to last for 30 days, but could be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground.
With details of the policy unclear, the Trump administration continues to face questions about its response to a rapidly spreading global crisis. How will it work in practice?
A recent study published in Science found that the effectiveness of travel restrictions in China was limited once the disease had spread widely within the country. On 23 January, Chinese officials banned travel in and out of Wuhan, where the Covid-19 outbreak began. But by then, the virus had spread to other cities. The travel ban only delayed the progression of the outbreak by three to five days, according to the study. There is little clarity on how the restrictions will be implemented beyond the statement that US authorities will take the necessary steps as regards visas and at point of entry to the US, while also ensuring that “any alien subject to this proclamation does not board an aircraft travelling to the United States”.
Daniel Drezner, a professor of International politics at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, told the Guardian that he questioned whether limiting travel from Europe would amount to anything more than “a drop in the bucket”, given the number of cases already reported in the US. “It seems to me that Stephen Miller was looking for a boogey-man and he found one in Europe,” Drezner said, referring to Trump’s aide who is an anti-immigration hardliner. The DHS has said it will issue practical guidance within 48 hours.
Democrats were also swift to criticize Trump’s approach, calling out the president for failing to address the shortage of testing kits that has hampered containment efforts across the country. What about British citizens travelling from outside the UK, and Europeans travelling to the US from Britain?
“We have a public health crisis in this country and the best way to help keep the American people safe and ensure their economic security is for the president to focus on fighting the spread of the coronavirus itself,” the Democratic leaders of the Senate and House said in a joint statement. “Alarmingly, the president did not say how the administration will address the lack of coronavirus testing kits throughout the United States.” It seems clear from the proclamation that as foreign nationals, Britons travelling to the US from within the Schengen zone – or who have spent any of the previous 14 days there – will be covered by the suspension, although it is not yet clear how that will work in practice.
Nationals of the Schengen member states should be able to fly to the US from Britain but will have to have spent 14 days in the UK first. Again, how exactly this will be checked is not yet clear.
Will the measure be effective?
A study published in the Science journal found the effectiveness of travel restrictions in China was limited once the disease had spread widely within the country.
On 23 January, Chinese officials banned travel in and out of Wuhan, where the Covid-19 outbreak originated, but by then the virus had spread to other cities and the travel ban only delayed its progression by three to five days, it suggested.
Daniel Drezner, a professor of International politics at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, questioned whether limiting travel from Europe would amount to anything more than “a drop in the bucket”, given the number of people who have already been infected with the virus in the US.
According to the latest US figures, more than 1,250 people in 44 states and Washington DC, have tested positive for coronavirus and at least 30 have died.
Democrats were also swift to criticie Trump’s approach, saying the president had failed to address the shortage of testing kits that has hampered containment efforts across the country.
“The best way to help keep the American people safe and ensure their economic security is for the president to focus on fighting the spread of the coronavirus itself,” the Democratic leaders of the Senate and House said in a joint statement.