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Europe blindsided by Trump’s travel restrictions, with many seeing political motive Trump’s coronavirus travel restrictions on Europe have many exceptions; arrivals won’t be tested
(about 3 hours later)
PARIS — European officials strongly condemned President Trump's decision to severely restrict travel from Europe to the United States on Thursday, a sudden move that took them by surprise and that many saw as politically motivated. The European travel restrictions set to take effect midnight Friday will not apply to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, their families and an array of other travelers, exemptions that make the measures less severe than President Trump’s initial announcement suspending “all travel.”
Of all the slights between Washington and Europe in recent years, the new travel restrictions represented a blow an order of magnitude beyond previous disputes. In a short statement — rare in its directness — the European Union expressed only exasperation. But U.S. airports and airlines said Thursday that they were still determining how to implement the order that blindsided European governments.
"The Coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action," the statement read, co-signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. Under the restrictions, travelers arriving from Europe will be routed to 10 to 15 designated U.S. international airports, likely to include most of the large commercial hubs that already receive those flights, according to a senior administration official involved with the planning. U.S. border officials and contracted medical personnel will screen those passengers for symptoms, but they will not be tested for the novel coronavirus, the official said.
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.” The Trump administration has been widely criticized for failing to acquire and distribute testing kits, as other nations including South Korea have done.
Coronavirus now a global pandemic as U.S., world scramble to control outbreak
Acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement late Wednesday that the restrictions on 26 European nations would be similar to those already in place for foreign travelers who had been to China and Iran, where coronavirus outbreaks have been severe. Wolf said he would issue more-detailed guidelines in the next 48 hours explaining how the measures will alter travel during the next 30 days, as authorities try to control the spread of the virus.
Although the restrictions are similar to those imposed on China and Iran, their effects — and those of a Wednesday bulletin from the State Department urging Americans to reconsider all international travel — will be much more widely felt. The moves are likely to add to the pain the aviation industry has been feeling since the beginning of the outbreak.
Normal passenger traffic from the European countries dwarfs that from China: About 12,000 passengers each day arrived in the United States from China in the first nine months of last year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. For the countries affected by the European restrictions, the figure was 66,000.
While Trump’s restrictions on European travelers have little precedent in the modern era, they are not as sweeping as a suspension of “all travel,” as Trump announced in his address to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday night.
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“In January and February, the administration issued similar travel restrictions on individuals who had been in China and Iran,” Wolf said. “That action proved to be effective in slowing the spread of the virus to the U.S., while public health officials prepared.”
The proclamation will ban tourists and other short-term visitors, as well as immigrant visa holders. But it exempts a broad range of other travelers: the parents or legal guardians of U.S. citizens and green-card holders under age 21, children in the process of being adopted, the family members of U.S. service members and “any alien whose entry would not pose a significant risk of introducing, transmitting, or spreading the virus, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the CDC Director or his designee,” among others. CDC refers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
White House suspends travel from most of Europe to the United States beginning FridayWhite House suspends travel from most of Europe to the United States beginning Friday
The ire from Brussels was another sign of just how little the two sides appear to be coordinating their response to the pandemic. European officials scrambled to play catch-up Thursday to understand the reasoning behind the ban. The U.S. Mission to the European Union declined to answer questions about how it was explaining the restrictions to European colleagues. The president made little mention of those exceptions in his address Wednesday night, and there were reports early Thursday of panicked Americans arriving at European airports fearing they would not be able to return home.
Most of Europe woke to the news in shock, and markets plummeted in the aftermath of the White House announcement. “To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days,” Trump said in his address. “There will be exemptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings, and these prohibitions will not only apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo but various other things as we get approval. Anything coming from Europe to the United States is what we are discussing. These restrictions will also not apply to the United Kingdom,” Trump said.
Live updates: Trump’s coronavirus travel ban slams global markets; Americans face widening restrictions White House officials later clarified that commercial goods will be exempted, as well.
In Britain, the benchmark FTSE 100 index, which tracks the 100 largest firms on the London Stock Exchange, fell Thursday morning on news of Trump’s travel ban. The steep drop brought the FTSE to its lowest level in eight years. France’s CAC 40 index fell by more than 10 percent. Germany’s DAX index fell by 9 percent. Britain was exempted because of its long-standing ties to the United States, according to the senior official, and because its health-care system is perceived to be more effective.
Wall Street followed suit. Stocks plunged deeper after days of major losses. As in Europe, the U.S. sell-off was driven in part by fallout from Trump’s travel block. Even with the clarifications issued by the Department of Homeland Security, details about how the restrictions would play out in practice remained unclear Thursday.
The details of the travel restrictions also confounded many European leaders and policymakers, underscoring the view that the decision was largely political. Officials at airports that see the highest passenger volumes from Europe said they were still working to understand the presidential order. And Customs and Border Protection, the agency that processes arriving passengers, said in a statement only that it was “aware” of the new order and working with DHS on how to implement it.
The ban on flights covered only the Schengen area, the European Union’s border-free travel zone, a 26-nation region that does not include Britain or Ireland. The European Union has been a regular target for Trump’s irritation, and he has praised Britain for quitting the bloc. But there are more cases of coronavirus in Britain than in many of the countries covered by the ban. Doug Yakel, a spokesman for San Francisco International Airport, said staff there were in a “wait and see mode.”
Across the 26 nations hit by the ban, there were 21,080 active cases of coronavirus as of Thursday morning, and 952 deaths, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University. Italy was the locus of the pandemic, with more than half of the active cases — 10,590 — and the vast majority of deaths, 827. American and United airlines announced they would cap fares for travelers seeking to return to the United States before the ban takes effect at midnight. But with many people traveling for Spring Break, it may prove difficult to book seats.
“We are in contact with the federal government to understand and comply with this directive,” American said in a statement. “The health and safety of our customers and team members remains our highest priority.”
Meanwhile, European officials strongly condemned Trump’s decision to severely restrict travel from their countries, saying they were blindsided by the sudden move that many saw as politically motivated.
Europe blindsided by Trump’s travel restrictions, with many seeing political motive
In a short statement — rare in its directness — the European Union expressed only exasperation.
“The Coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action,” the statement read, co-signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.”
Across the 26 nations hit by the ban, there were 21,080 active cases of coronavirus as of Thursday morning, and 952 deaths, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University. Italy was a particular locus of the pandemic, with more than half of the active cases — 10,590 — and the vast majority of deaths, 827.
Britain had 430 active cases and eight deaths, while Ireland had 42 active cases and one death. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar planned to meet Trump on Thursday in Washington as part of St. Patrick’s Day events.Britain had 430 active cases and eight deaths, while Ireland had 42 active cases and one death. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar planned to meet Trump on Thursday in Washington as part of St. Patrick’s Day events.
Some in Europe wondered if Britain and Ireland were exempted because they contain Trump-owned properties.Some in Europe wondered if Britain and Ireland were exempted because they contain Trump-owned properties.
In any case, the decision appeared to confound even leaders of the British government and former U.S. homeland security officials, who said that scientific evidence did not support travel restrictions.In any case, the decision appeared to confound even leaders of the British government and former U.S. homeland security officials, who said that scientific evidence did not support travel restrictions.
Critics of the ban said travel restrictions — such as those imposed on China early in the crisis — no longer make sense given that coronavirus is now global. The energy and resources on the closures would be better spent on expanding U.S. hospital capacity, some experts said. Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst, said airlines also appeared to have been caught off guard by the president’s announcement and were scrambling to figure out how to adjust schedules to meet the restrictions. He expected them to make announcements late Thursday or early Friday and expected to see major reductions if not suspensions of service.
Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. “What’s unknown is will airlines, U.S. or foreign flag, keep any kind of token presence operating between the U.S. and certain major hubs,” said Harteveldt, the president of Atmosphere Research Group. “Or are we going to see a complete cessation of flying? Which is almost unthinkable.”
“With regard to flight bans, we are always guided by the science as we make our decisions here. The advice we are getting is that there isn’t evidence that interventions like closing borders or travel bans are going to have a material effect on the spread of the infections,” Rishi Sunak, Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer, told the BBC. The restrictions were announced as the aviation industry was already reeling from the impact of the ban on travelers from China. The new limits are likely to hurt even more.
Thomas P. Bossert, a former U.S. homeland security adviser to Trump, also dismissed the value of flight bans. A report released Thursday by the Airports Council International — North America, an advocacy group, projected that U.S. airports will lose an estimated $3.7 billion in revenue this year due to drops in flights and passenger traffic tied to the coronavirus. It anticipates a 22 percent drop in passenger traffic for the first six months of the year, which translates to roughly 100 million passenger enplanements.
“There’s little value to European travel restrictions. Poor use of time & energy,” Bossert said Thursday on Twitter. “Earlier, yes. Now, travel restrictions/screening are less useful. We have nearly as much disease here in the US as the countries in Europe. We MUST focus on layered community mitigation measures-Now!” Given that Europe is a significantly larger market than China, those losses could be further magnified even if the ban is only in place for 30 days.
In continental Europe, many felt that the White House’s decision was another political strike at already enfeebled transatlantic relationship between the United States and some of its closest allies. According to the International Air Transport Association, there are roughly 550 flights per day between the U.S. and the Schengen Area, the geographical region covered by the ban.
“Trump needed a narrative to exonerate his administration from any responsibility in the crisis. The foreigner is always a good scapegoat. The Chinese has already been used. So, let’s take the European, not any Europe, the EU-one,” Gérard Araud, France’s former ambassador to the United States, said in a statement posted on Twitter. “Doesn’t make sense but [it is] ideologically healthy.” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said that while governments should take measures it believes are necessary to contain the virus, it should be mindful that those decisions could have broad economic consequences.
In his announcement, Trump specifically referred to what he called a “foreign virus” that “started in China and is now spreading throughout the world.” “In normal times, air transport is a catalyst for economic growth and development,” de Juniac said in a statement. “Suspending travel on such a broad scale will create negative consequences across the economy. Governments must recognize this and be ready to support.”
The move added to the sense that the world’s industrial powers were failing to work with each other to contain the virus, and might even be working against each other. IATA said the measures taken by the U.S. government will only add to the financial pressures. According to IATA’s analysis, the total value of the U.S.-Schengen market in 2019 was $20.6 billion. Those countries likely to be most impacted by the ban are Germany, France and Italy.
Under previous presidents, the United States has often taken the lead in directing a coordinated global response to world challenges. Trump has sought to minimize the virus, undermine his scientific advisers and blame other countries for the pandemic. And he has also tangled with European countries for three years on issues of defense spending, climate change and trade. Despite the spread of the virus, which has infected people in 114 countries, the World Health Organization had advised against travel restrictions to countries where outbreaks have occurred.
Coronavirus now a global pandemic as U.S., world scramble to control outbreak In guidance issued last month, WHO said that if such measures are taken, they should only be in place for a brief amount of time and must “be reconsidered regularly as the situation evolves.”
“Any attempt to contain the #CoronaOutbreak is welcome, but the decision of @realDonaldTrump to exclude the UK from a European travel ban is nothing short of irresponsible,” former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb wrote on Twitter. “Viruses do not recognise borders. Decisions should be based on facts, not politics.” Experts outside the U.S. government have also questioned the usefulness of such restrictions.
Trump’s announcement led to panic at various European airports. American travelers scrambled to change their tickets onto U.S. bound flights at the last minute, often at premium prices. But pressed on Capitol Hill on Thursday on whether they will have a significant impact on the community spread of the virus within the United States, Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said “the answer is a firm ‘yes.’”
The lack of a coordinated response seemed to extend inside Europe, too. The Czech Republic on Thursday announced limited border restrictions with Austria and Germany. The move came a day after Austria said that Italians could only cross its frontiers if they can produce a recent test certifying they are coronavirus-free. Fauci said 70 percent of new infections worldwide are coming from Europe. He said 30 U.S. states have recently been affected by travel-related infections from the continent.
Quentin Ariès in Brussels, William Booth in London and Rick Noack in Berlin contributed to this report. “So it was pretty compelling that we needed to turn off the source from that region,” Fauci said. China was initially “the seed” of infections in the United States, he said: “But the dynamics of the outbreak changed. It shifted from China to the rest of the world, to Europe to the rest of the world.”
First, China. Then, Italy. What the U.S. can learn from extreme coronavirus lockdowns. James McAuley and Michael Birnbaum contributed to this report.
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