Trump Likely To Restrict Refugee Access To US In Sweeping Measures

NEW DELHI: United States President Donald Trump has said that a “big day” is planned on the subject of national security, with several executive orders expected to be signed in the upcoming days. Amongst these is an order that mandates “extreme vetting” of refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa, whose visas are likely to be suspended. Additionally, a temporary ban on all refugees will be placed.

According to reports, the ban imposed will apply for a specific amount of time to all refugees, with exceptions being made for minorities fleeing religious persecution. The other order will block visas being issued to anyone from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, reports suggest.

Sources have said the first of the orders relating to national security will be signed on Wednesday, with the refugee issue expected to come up later this week. The issue of the wall between the US and Mexico is likely to be one of the first matters to come up, as Trump tweeted the following on Tuesday: “Big day planned on NATIONAL SECURITY tomorrow. Among many other things, we will build the wall!”

Building a 2000 mile wall along the border with Mexico was one of Trump’s key election promises. Trump’s first press conference as President-elect underscored the commitment to the wall, which will be corroborated by measures that force so-called “sanctuary cities” in the US to co-operate with the authorities on deporting illegal immigrants. “Sanctuary cities” are those that don't arrest or detain immigrants living in the country illegally.

The upcoming national security orders on the wall and refugee access will inevitably receive criticism from immigration and humanitarian organisations. These, however, are not the first executive orders taken up by the new President.

Earlier this week, President Trump angered women’s and rights groups across the world as he reinstated an executive order Monday barring US foreign aid from going to any nongovernmental organization (NGO) that either provides abortion services, or even discusses abortion with its patients as an option for family planning. The so-called global gag rule has been described by organisations as “the beginning of the Trump-Pence administration’s agenda to punish women everywhere.”

With the executive order reinstating the global gag rule, Trump followed up on an election promise to take sweeping actions against abortion, including appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade -- a landmark judgement for abortion rights and women’s rights in the United States.

The global gag rule has been a political tool in the years since it was implemented by Ronald Reagan in 1984. Bill Clinton came to power and immediately revoked it, with George W. Bush then reinstating it. Barack Obama then repealed it, and now -- Trump’s first major move since becoming President was to reinstate the heavily criticised rule.

With his first order on the issue of abortion and hence, women’s rights, Trump then moved on Tuesday to jobs and trade, and now, to national security -- with the upcoming week likely to see a lot of new measures from the new President.

Meanwhile, the new US President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the phone for the first time last night, swapping invitations in what the media and others in the country are describing as a ‘warm conversation.’

PM Modi tweeted the following about the conversation:

President Trump "emphasized that the US considers India a true friend and partner in addressing challenges around the world", the White House said in readout of the call. The Indian Prime Minister is the fifth world leader Trump has called since officially being inaugurated as the US President.