ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – US President Donald Trump on Tuesday added seven more countries, including Syria, to a full travel ban, citing shortcomings in screening as part of a broader security crackdown. 

In a statement, the White House said that Trump signed a proclamation “expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing.” 

Trump has been increasingly vocal against immigration in recent months, ordering mass deportations and tightening rules for travel to the US. 

The latest countries to face “full restrictions and entry limitations” by Trump’s order include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Palestinian Authority passport holders will also face a full travel ban. 

“The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risk they pose,” the White House said. 

It justified Syria’s inclusion by saying that Damascus is “emerging from a protracted period of civil unrest and internal strife,” acknowledging the Syrian government’s efforts to tighten security in partnership with Washington but stressing that it still “does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.” 

Trump’s decision was carried out “to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats,” the White House asserted. 

The travel ban on Syria came two days after two US troops and an American civil interpreter were killed in the deserts of eastern Syria during a joint field tour with Syrian security forces. 

Initial reports, including a now-deleted post by the state-owned Syria TV, which cited security sources, suggested the attack was carried out by a Syrian security force member, before later blaming the Islamic State (ISIS), whose elements run rampant across the desert region.

With the latest decision, nearly 40 countries are now facing travel restrictions by Washington. 

During his first term, Trump imposed similar travel restrictions, widely labeled as the “Muslim ban.” The original ban affected people from seven Muslim-majority countries, but the restrictions were also extended to several non-Muslim countries in subsequent executive orders.