EU asks United States to reconsider Covid-19 travel ban

The European Union has stepped up efforts to persuade the United States to exempt EU citizens legally residing in the US from the travel ban, as both sides consider the next stage in opening-up borders for international travel in the wake of coronavirus.

In a letter to US secretary of state Mike Pompeo last week, EU ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis and Croatia’s ambassador to the US, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, asked the US to reconsider the scope of the current travel ban imposed by the US in March to take account of Europeans living in the US on non-immigrant visas.

Thousands of Europeans are employed under various categories of so-called “non-immigrant” visas in the US, but under the terms of the travel ban which applies to most European countries, China and Iran, they are unable to re-enter the United States if they visit those countries.

The European Commission already offers more flexibility to non-EU nationals, and has recommended that third-country nationals, including Americans, legally residing in the EU should be exempt from travel restrictions.

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Ban on visas

On Monday, US president Donald Trump announced a ban on issuing new non-immigrant visas to foreign workers for the rest of the year, though those who are already living and working in the United States on visas are not affected. However, the presidential order means that thousands of people who had expected to travel to the United States for work later in 2020 will be unable to do so.

Discussions between individual embassies and the EU mission in Washington are taking place with the administration and the State Department on possible exemptions to the travel restrictions or a standardised approach by the two blocs. Other categories of foreign residents in the United States are permitted to re-enter, though they must abide by quarantine and other health requirements in each state on their return. In the letter, the ambassadors point out that current US coronavirus travel rules mean that EU citizens resident in the United States are banned from entering the US if travelling from the Schengen area or Ireland.

The diplomatic push comes amid reports that the EU could ban US travellers from entering the Schengen area as it considers taking a coordinated approach among member states to reopening the bloc’s external borders from July 1st.

The US has reported more than 2.3 million cases – the highest in the world – with top immunologist Anthony Fauci warning on Tuesday of a “disturbing surge” in infection rates in some US states.

One possibility is that both blocs could maintain restrictions on tourist visitors, but have different arrangements for those ordinarily resident in either the EU or the US.

Less than five months before the presidential election, immigration is returning to the political agenda in the United States.

Border wall

Mr Trump toured a section of the border wall in Arizona yesterday, as he made a trip to the electorally-important state.

Stating that illegal immigration was down 84 per cent compared to a year ago – a figure that has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic – Mr Trump said that no administration had done more to secure America’s southern border.

“Our border has never been more secure,” he said, accusing presidential rival Joe Biden and Democrats of wanting “open borders” and “criminal sanctuaries”.

Mr Trump inspected a section of a 320km segment of the steel wall, signing a plaque attached to the barrier. Earlier, he described the structure as “just about unclimbable”, and “the most powerful” barrier in the world.

Mr Trump’s visit to Arizona came a day after he signed a presidential order expanding immigration restrictions, by halting the issuance of new visas for certain categories of foreign workers until the end of the year. He also extended a ban on green card applications until at least next year. Speaking at the border wall on Tuesday, Mr Trump defended the move, stating: “we want to give jobs to Americans right now”. But he hinted that some breakthrough on DACA – the programme that protects young Americans who arrived in the country illegally as children – could be imminent.