refugees from high-risk Muslim majority countries can heave a sigh of relief because the travel ban imposed by the Trump administration, has been withdrawn. However, those who plan to come to the United States would have to undergo tougher scrutiny. The ban had been imposed on 10 countries in the Middle East plus North Korea to prevent the entry of unwanted elements like terrorists and ensure that those who came to America had an authentic background.
According to Daily Mail UK, the US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has explained that the administration must know the identity of those who enter the country. The new system will guarantee safety and will discourage people from taking advantage of the refugee programs.
America must be safe
Terrorism is a major threat to the world. After assuming office, Donald Trump has gone ahead with his strategy of guaranteeing safety for the United States from terrorists. One of the actions he implemented was the travel ban on refugees from a few Muslim majority countries. This has resulted in a drop in the annual refugee admissions.
As indicated by Nielsen, the new security upgrades will act as a deterrent to suspected criminals from entering the country. The administration has clarified that the revised policy of rigorous assessment is not to target any specific community but to guarantee security for all. The 11 countries have not been identified officially but are believed to be those that are associated with a higher level of risk based on available information.
BBC adds that more than 40 percent of refugees who have entered America in the last three years belonged to the 11 nations identified as high-risk. However, when the travel ban was imposed in October, the numbers reduced considerably.
Threats of terrorism
The world today is worried about the spread of terrorism because it is the single largest factor that engages the attention of security forces.
Terrorists keep innovating and the security mechanism has to gear up to thwart their designs by ensuring the safety of the people. The travel ban of the United States was one such measure to restrict entry of refugees to only those who had unblemished records and did not pose any threat.
However, such a ban will not eliminate the threat from homegrown terrorists and lone wolf operators. That will remain because they are usually present in the country but have gone astray due to whatever reasons. They are equally dangerous since they get influenced by what they come across on the internet and carry out attacks on innocents. The administration must identify such persons and take necessary action before it is too late.